Puppy Love: Veil
by ijustwokeup
Summary: Prologue to Puppy Love: Mend. Gohan bumps into the daughter of the World Champion a year after Cell's defeat. In hopes to compete in the Adult Division tournament, Gohan creates a disguise - only to get a little carried away.
1. Chapter 1

**Puppy Love**

**Ch.1**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: Hi, guys, I'm at it again. Decided to give a kid Gh/Vi a shot, and I hope to transform it into a teen Gh/Vi as the story progresses; the concept of characters growing with the story in and of itself is interesting to me. And quite possibly fun to write. :)

This won't have Lemon content, particularly because I would feel weird making 13-year olds do the hanky-panky, haha. Thus, I try my hand at a T-rated fic! However, you never know – possible M rating later.

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><p>He had done it. Finally.<p>

Although the final method of his father's was unexpected at the least. How could he sacrifice himself like that? Gohan couldn't fathom it. That his father would use Instant Transmission to send Cell off the Earth, ultimately saving human kind from the monster's destruction? It was his own immaturity that drove Goku to do it, and there was no turning back.

And then his father told him along with his family and friends, that he didn't want to be revived with the Dragonballs? Absurd!

How could Goku be so selfish, to force him to live without him to care for his mother and future brother on his own? Gohan couldn't help but grit his teeth at the thought of his own father abandoning him. Abandoning his wife. And his unborn child.

At least, this was what he thought, in the height of it all.

However, a year had passed since then.

The news about Cell's defeat had died down a bit – after Mr. Satan claimed to have defeated the villain, taking the Z fighters' credit. It was alright, though. The last thing Gohan and his family wanted was the paparazzi spying on their every move like they were on a reality TV show. Yes, despite the fact this mustached man had practically insulted him and his friends by calling them his "pupils" due to his egocentricity, they were OK with his constant televised flaunting.

Gohan, who had just reached the end of his pre-teens, had accepted his father's decision to stay in the Other World as equally as he had accepted Mr. Satan's lies.

He was quite mature for his age – he knew there was no use in brooding over something he couldn't change. He knew that he had to suck it up and act as the new man of the house. And he knew that the more he sulked over the new changes in his life, the more his mother would be affected by it – even his newborn brother. It broke his heart just to think about how saddened ChiChi would be to see him struggle over his father's death. Gohan was strong – and he wanted his mother to perceive him as such.

Although, there was one thing the boy hesitated to make his mother happy about – and that was his studies. Sure, Gohan loved to read and learn about new things, but the fact of the matter was that he was a descendent of Saiyan blood. Such genetics hardwired him to want to become stronger and stronger. Especially after all the years of fighting he went through ever since Piccolo had trained him, and especially after his father's death, Gohan had a hard time focusing on anything but training.

He wanted to be strong. He wanted to be able to deal with any future foe that may arise.

Because he knew that at this point, there was no one to lie back on in case he was to fail.

However, ChiChi pushed and pushed to make him study rather than train. She argued that the peace brought to the world after Cell's demise should be used fruitfully. That training would be a waste since there was no eminent threat. That her son should be calculating equations and researching scientific theories first and foremost.

It didn't stop the boy from training behind her back though.

Every now and then, when his mother was preoccupied with his infant brother, Gohan would sneak out of his bedroom window and fly over to the nearby fields and plateaus to practice.

Transforming into the first stage of his Super Saiyan form, he calmed his body and focused on his Ki. Eyes shut, fists clenched into a ball, Gohan manifested his energy before his initial strike. The boy flung his eyes open as he targeted his first boulder and shot a deadly Ki blast at it. He quickly maneuvered himself to the cliff-side behind the smoking rubble and threw a right hook, inevitably causing the sheet of rock to crumble. He then swiftly twirled his body around to face another –

"SON GOHAN!"

Stopping dead in his tracks, the Super Saiyan rigidly turned his head around towards the echo of his mother's voice.

"Crap."

He could feel his eyebrow twitch as he eyed his home in the distance.

"SOOON! GOOOHAN!"

He knew he needed to get home, and quick. Like a bolt of lightning, Gohan ran back. He crept over to his bedroom window and slowly placed his hands on the sill. Hoisting himself up, he flopped into his bedroom, tumbling once or twice – until he slammed into something.

Someone.

His eyes hesitantly trailed up a pair of legs – clothed in the all too familiar garb his mother wore.

"Uh-oh." He whispered as he peered up from his pretzeled position.

"Uh-oh? Uh-oh is right, mister!" ChiChi roared as she glared at the upside-down, hunched over boy, "You were training again, weren't you?"

Gohan guiltily averted his gaze from his mother, unable to respond to her question with the obvious answer.

"That does it." She scowled, "I told you before what would happen if you did that again, didn't I?"

His tiny voice finally piped up. "Aw, mom… no. Please don't…"

"Well, at this rate, you're going to have to, Son Gohan! Home schooling you is tough enough with your baby brother to take care of now. Someone needs to teach you, and it won't be me if you keep up with this delinquent behavior of yours!" She growled, "Look at your hair, for crying out loud!"

Gohan didn't realize he hadn't changed back from his Super Saiyan form. Quickly transforming back to normal, he sat himself upright before he stood up on his feet. Looking down at the ground, he hushed obediently. "OK, mom. I promise. I won't run off to train when I should be studying."

ChiChi placed her hands on her hips as she cocked her head to the side, studying the boy with her intense eyes. As her mouth flew open to say something more, baby Goten's tiny voice wailed from down the hallway.

She turned her head towards the echoing cries and huffed in frustration. "Again? I just put him to sleep!" She took a step towards the door before she halted herself, turning her attention back to her eldest son. Her uneasy glare pierced his soul. "I'm going to come back to check up on you, Gohan. You better be studying." At that, she hurried out of his room.

The half-Saiyan let out a deep sigh of relief, letting his shoulders slump.

She was **so** close to sending him to public school.

It really wasn't on the top of his list of Things-To-Do. He had a hunch he was already much smarter than the kids his age – and that public school would just be a drag. A waste of his day, really. In fact, Gohan loved the perks of being home schooled. He could be in the comfort of his own bedroom, he could eat his mother's cooking all the time, and he could – if he was sly about it – sneak off to the wilderness to play and train.

None of that would be possible if he were to go into the city and learn there. So he was glad that his mother ended up giving him another warning just then. However, he knew her patience was close to teetering off the edge with him. He had to tread lightly.

Just as he was about to sit back in his chair to get back into his readings, his mother burst into his room, cradling Goten in her arms.

"Oh, that's right, Gohan. I forgot to mention to you," ChiChi continued to rock his baby brother to sleep. "I need you to go into the city tomorrow and run some errands for me. Can you do that for your momma?"

"S-sure, mom."

His mother smiled gently at him in gratitude. As she quietly left him to his books, Gohan couldn't help but feel a bit baffled. He figured he'd be used to it by now – his mother's weird ever-changing moods. Raging one minute, and sweet like honey the next. It didn't take long for him to shrug it off like he always did, though.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan took off the next morning to Orange Star City.

He soared through the clouds until he could spot the familiar looking buildings with his keen eyesight. As he descended from the high skies, he trained his eyes on the city's sign.

'Satan City'

"…Satan… City?" The boy cocked an eyebrow as he questioned the unfamiliar name.

Had he taken a wrong turn in his flight? He was almost positive this was Orange Star City… It had to be. All the buildings looked the same… What was going on?

Gohan landed on his feet and walked into the city, looking left and right. He headed down the path he would normally take to go to the supermarket, and to his surprise (or not?), it was there, like it always was. Scratching his head, he decided to question the foreign sign later and grab the groceries his mother asked him to get. As Gohan walked up and down the aisles, he eyed the list ChiChi gave him and picked off all the items off the shelves. It didn't take him long to finally waddle up to the register with the colossal amount of groceries piled in his arms, inevitably causing the cashier to drop his jaw in utter disbelief.

Paying his fee, the half-Saiyan walked out of the supermarket hugging the mountainous shopping bags skewing his vision. He only took a few steps before he had bumped into something.

"Hey, you!"

Or rather, someone.

Attempting to look over and around his groceries, Gohan wondered if that female's voice was directed to him.

"U-uh, me?"

"Duh! Who else?" The girl's voice sneered. "Stop right there!"

Gohan managed to turn to the side a little to catch a glimpse of who was talking to him. She looked about his age. A pigtailed raven-haired girl with big blue eyes… blue eyes that were menacingly scowling at him.

"Skipping school and stealing, are we?" She hissed at him, "You better put that all back right now before I teach you a lesson!" She repeatedly pumped her fist into her palm.

"S-skipping school? …Stealing?" Gohan naively raised his eyebrows at her.

"Don't play dumb, I can see right through you. You're all the same – you're nothing but a delinquent!"

Delinquent… Gohan immediately thought about his own mother – a word she used all too often when she caught him secretly training.

"I-I'm not a delinquent…" He frowned as though it were ChiChi speaking to him, "and I didn't steal this, I just bought it so my mom can cook dinner tonight."

The girl scoffed as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Your mom asked you to grab **all** that for **dinner**? You must think I'm a fool! Don't you know who I am?"

The boy shook his head in reply.

Grinning, she pointed at herself as she stood tall. "I'm the daughter of the World Champion! Satan Videl! And I stop criminals in this city. Criminals like you!" Her self-praising grin transformed into another scowl as she directed her pointed finger at the boy. "You should be at school, not doing this petty theft!"

Gohan put the bags of groceries down by his feet. He pointed at her and innocently retorted, "But, shouldn't you be at school, too?"

"Ha! You really must not be from around here, are you?"

He shook his head.

"I guess I was wrong about you – you're not even from Satan City. Well, tell ya what. Don't you worry about me skipping. My school let's me so I can catch all the kids playing hookie."

Gohan pondered for a moment why her teachers let her skip school to catch **other** kids skipping school. It almost seemed… backwards.

"Where are you from, anyway?" Videl interrupted his thoughts.

"Ah… I'm from the East District…"

"Wh-… what are you doing all the way over here, then? Shopping for food? That's it? How did you get here? Where's your mom? And shouldn't you be in school, anyway?" She began to barrage him with questions.

'_Ack… I probably shouldn't have told her that… what am I supposed to say?'_ Gohan could feel the sweat form on his forehead.

It must have been Gohan's luck that he didn't need to answer her after all. Or maybe, luck wasn't the right word. But the kids' attentions were suddenly redirected to an ear-piercing shriek. Both turned their heads towards the cry and widened their eyes at the sight of a hatted man swiping a woman's purse. He quickly tried to get away, running as fast as he could – conveniently in the direction of the two kids.

"Help me! Somebody catch that man!"

Without a second thought, Videl threw herself in the thief's way, attempting to block his escape with her arms stretched out. Gohan's eyes widened in surprise as he watched her – her expression was stern, her brow furrowed. Sweat was beginning to form on her forehead as her lower lip quivered at the slightest.

The man snickered at her effort as he kept running at the same pace. "Move it, squirt!"

The man stretched his arm out and shoved the little girl out of the way with ease. Shocked, Gohan watched Videl fly backwards, skidding against the cemented sidewalk on her side.

Anger swarmed Gohan's emotions, and it didn't take long for the half-Saiyan to react to the thief's unwelcomed action.

The man's grin was quickly wiped off his face when the boy suddenly appeared in his way out of nowhere. He stopped in his tracks as he looked at him in much valid confusion.

"Wh-wh… where did you come from?" He managed to stutter.

Gohan didn't answer. His expression was stone cold. Clenching his fist into a ball, he took a step back with one foot and ground himself before he threw a hard punch at the man's gut.

Videl managed to get a glimpse of the boy in action as she rubbed her injured arm. She was utterly shocked to see the man cough up blood after his attack, and how he cradled his stomach in pain, reverting himself into a fetal position on the ground.

Gohan swiped the stolen purse from the man and straightened himself up. Nonchalantly, he walked up to the victim and handed it back to her.

"T-thank you…" She managed to stutter, in amazement.

He smiled gently at her for her gratitude. He then walked back over to the pigtailed girl, who continued to cradle her arm.

"Are you OK? You shouldn't have done that – you could have gotten really hurt!" His brows furrowed in concern.

He reached his hand out to her, motioning she take it to help herself up off the ground. But he was quickly swatted away by her backhand.

"Don't." She frowned, not wanting to be babied by this stranger. "I'm fine. It's just a scrape." She stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. She peered up at the abnormally strong boy and narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "How did you do that?"

"U-uh... heh, I don't know. I guess I got lucky!" Gohan rubbed the back of his neck, hoping she wouldn't catch on to his lie.

There was a momentary pause between the two.

"I…"

Gohan revert his attention back to the girl, noticing the change in her stern composure. Her blue eyes were looking down at the ground. Her brow was furrowed, but she didn't look angry. She looked… shameful?

"I was scared," she muttered.

He looked at her quizzically.

"I call myself a crime fighter, but I'm not. All I do is catch kids skipping school, and beat them up if I have to. But, I never fought an adult like him before," her voice trailed off as a small blush formed on her face, "I was really scared that he was going to hurt me."

Gohan wasn't sure how to respond at first. He studied the little girl's composure, taking note of her genuine honesty. He then smiled gently at her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. His smile quickly turning into a grin when she looked up at him.

He assured her, "Well, you did great, you know. That guy could have gotten away if you didn't try to stop him! You're a crime fighter in my book."

As she looked into his heart-filled onyx eyes, she realized he was being true to her. She grinned back at him, elated to hear his words of comfort.

"What's your name, anyway?"

"My name is Gohan."

She stuck her hand out to the boy, gesturing a handshake. "It's nice to meet you. Sorry how I yelled at you earlier."

Shaking her hand in return, his grin widened across his face. "Aw, it's no big deal." He then thought for a minute, as he recalled the pigtailed girl's name. "So, you're Mr. Satan's daughter, huh?"

"Yep. The strongest man in the world! I'm proud to be a Satan." She coyly grinned.

"Hm, Satan… oh! What happened, anyway? Isn't this Orange Star City? Why is it that I saw a sign that read 'Satan City'?"

"Well, ever since my dad beat Cell, the mayor wanted to change the city's name to commemorate his victory in saving Earth. So, he renamed Orange Star City to Satan City," she explained.

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess," Gohan didn't dare mention who the real savior was to Mr. Satan's daughter.

"You're pretty strong too, though, you know." She eyed the boy. She then beamed, "Hey, you should enter the tournament!"

"Tournament?"

"Yeah! I'm entering it, so you should too! The Tenkaichi Budukai Tournament. It has a junior division for kids like us. I bet you and I can breeze through the competition easily!" Videl's eyes lit up as she mentioned the big upcoming event.

"U-uh, I don't know… I don't think my mom would let me." Gohan's voice trailed off. He knew for a fact his mother wouldn't let him. Fighting was the last thing she would ever willingly agree to let him do.

"But you're so strong! I'm sure you'd get first or second place. You know, you get ten million just for getting third? There's a whole lot of money in this! Think of all the toys we can buy!"

"T-ten million?" Gohan's mouth fell agape.

The girl grinned as she watched his reaction. "Bet your mom would like some of that prize money too, right? She's gotta let you enter!"

As the information registered in his head, Gohan thought hard. He would **love** to enter the tournament. Fighting was fighting, even if he was going to compete against normal kids his age. But the fact ChiChi was so dead set on taking that away from him, he wasn't so sure he was going to be able to enter. However, the prize money shed a light of hope. Maybe, just maybe, his mother would let him enter. She was always complaining about the lack of money, after all.

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><p>End, chapter 1.<p>

A/N: And there you have it – the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed!

I initially wanted to write my next fic based on the highest scores polled on my profile. But, because majority of the votes went into a teen-gh/vi-lemon-filled-secret-identity-at-school type of fic, I realized my stories would just seem very repetitive, considering I already created 2 fics about that. So, I hope you all enjoy my steer in a different direction.

(If you were really looking forward to reading a lemony fic with Gohan's tail in play, read my oneshot posted on Team Dragon Star: Stick It In Your Pants. You can find the link on my profile.)

I appreciate comments, criticisms, and suggestions on what you think about my new story! I'll post a new chapter when I can get to it. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Puppy Love**

**Ch.2**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

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><p>"Mom?" Gohan muttered as he engorged himself with a leg of lamb.<p>

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Gohan," ChiChi casually reminded him, as if she hadn't done that enough times.

Chewing the meat into bits, he finally managed to swallow, allowing it to pass down his throat. "Um, mom?" He attempted once more, his mouth clean of food, "I uh, was talking to this girl in front of the supermarket, and-"

It seemed that alone was enough to get a rise out of her. "A girl?" ChiChi burst out as she swung her head to glare at her son, "Gohan! You're much too young to be thinking about girls!"

Despite the fact the half-Saiyan wanted to point out to his own mother that she had her first date with his father a year younger than he was now, he decided to leave that fact in the dust and get to the point he was veering towards.

"N-no, I didn't mean that, mom! She told me there's this martial arts tournament coming up, and well-"

Again, his mother interrupted him. "Tournament?" Her eyes seemed to be shooting daggers at his poor soul. "Absolutely not, Gohan! You shouldn't even have to ask me to know that!"

Gohan sighed at the predictable defeat as his head drooped. He knew all too well his mother would deny him from entering. He figured it was time for 'Plan B'. Peering up from his empty plate, he glanced at his mother with the innocence of an angel. "B-but, you know I would win, mom. The junior division alone honors you with 30 million for first place-"

"Th-th-thirty million?" ChiChi stammered as her eyes widened to the size of his dinner plate.

"…And if they let me enter the adult division, I could win 50 million for first place, mom," he continued as he took full note of her change in attitude.

He watched his mother wobble in place as if she were about to faint. "F-fif-… fifty… fifty million…!"

Unsure if she was actually about to faint, Gohan cautiously observed his mother as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She startled him by suddenly jolting herself upright, leaning her face in to meet his.

"G-Gohan!" She blurted out.

"Uh?" He craned his neck back in an attempt to distance his face from the close vicinity of his mother's.

"You **have** to win!"

It took a moment for the boy to register his mother's sudden plea. However, it didn't take much longer for a wide grin to form on his elated face.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan was thrilled his mother said yes. Now, he was able to train freely without any repercussions. However, she did mention that she wasn't going to go easy on him about his studies after the tournament was over. Just thinking about it made him feel apprehensive. Nevertheless, he needed to focus. Although he knew he wouldn't need to train much (or at all, for that matter) for a tournament against normal kids, he took advantage of this freedom as much as he could.

After a good hour or two of practice, Gohan decided to take a break and go visit what was now called Satan City. He figured it would be a good idea to grab some information about the upcoming tournament and see the place for himself.

The boy really didn't care much for the junior division tournament, after all. It was the adult division that his heart was fixated on. He recalled back to the time his father talked about how he participated in the Tenkaichi Budukai as a child, and how there were no rules pertaining to kids his age fighting against adults. Now, because of the change in generations and social constructs, parents of fighting children found it apt to petition for age specific divisions.

Due to this, Gohan needed to figure out a way to surpass the divisional split.

Flying into Satan City on Kinto'un, he scanned the city for where the tournament would be held. It wasn't long until he spotted a large billboard by the city's park. The half-Saiyan hopped off the golden cloud and planted his feet on the sill of the billboard. As he stood there with his face inches away from the enormous sign, he read it, taking note of some new information.

'Battle of the Year: Tenkaichi Budukai Tournament! Do you have what it takes to beat the World Champion? Claim your winnings! Adult and junior divisions! Sponsored by Mr. Satan himself.'

Sponsored by Mr. Satan? Gohan was unaware that the alleged World Champion was funding the tournament. "Videl's dad, huh?" He queried to himself.

"Hey!"

As if it were on cue, Gohan looked down from the billboard, catching eyes with the girl in question.

"What are you doing up there?" Videl frowned at him as she craned her neck to get a better look at the distant figure. "How in the world did you climb up there, anyway? You better not be vandalizing Papa's sign!"

Without thinking, Gohan decided to jump from the billboard's ledge to plop himself in front of the pigtailed girl. Panicked to see the boy jump from such a high platform, Videl flailed her arms about as she side-stepped frantically, not knowing where he was going to land – or whether he was going to survive, for that matter.

Stumbling over her own feet, Videl fell onto her rear. She looked up in utter shock at the boy standing in front of her visibly unharmed.

"G-Gohan? Is that you?" She finally registered his familiar face.

He grinned back at her, "Hi, Videl. What are you doing here?"

Cocking an eyebrow as her eyes bugged out, she retorted, "Wh-what am **I** doing here? What were **you** doing up **there**!"

Looking back up to the billboard, Gohan realized the height of his jump was… abnormal to say the least. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nervously laughed her quizzical manner off. "Heh, I just wanted to get a closer look… is all…"

Videl stood up on her feet and glared at the boy, studying his nervous composure.

Wanting to keep her suspicions afar, he attempted to veer the subject away from him. "Uh, so Videl, I didn't know your dad was funding the tournament."

She grinned, "Of course! He was the champion last year. And he's going to fight against the final contestant this year in the adult division."

Gohan thought for a minute. If he were to participate in the adult division, well, that would mean he would fight one on one with Mr. Satan… He couldn't help but scrunch his face up at the burdening thought. Does that mean he would have to lose on purpose? Gohan didn't want the kind of attention Mr. Satan got transferred over to him and his family – he just wanted to fight and bring the prize money home to his mom. It seemed that joining the adult division was going to be more complicated than he anticipated.

"So? Are you gonna compete?" Videl asked, bringing him back to reality.

"Yep!" Gohan's lips turned into a grinning smirk.

Thrilled to hear the news, Videl mimicked his grin. "This is going to be awesome! Finally, I'll have some decent competition! You know, the junior division has been a drag. I haven't fought a single kid yet that was even close to a challenge," she huffed in frustration. Her frown quickly flipped over to a smile again as her eyes glimmered. "But with you around, things will be sure to get interesting!"

The half-Saiyan wasn't sure how to respond but to innocently laugh along with her. He knew all too well that she certainly wasn't going to be a challenge to **him**.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan decided to pay a visit to the Briefs residence after running into Videl. He figured it would be nice to have some of his friends attend the tournament to cheer him on. And who knew? Maybe Vegeta wanted to compete. It's what he hoped, at least.

Shortly after ringing the doorbell, Gohan was greeted by his father's longtime friend. The blue-haired beauty was cradling her infant son as she flashed a welcoming smile at him.

"Hi, Gohan! What brings you here?" She beckoned him in with a nod, leading him to the living room.

"Hey, Bulma. Is Vegeta around…?" He hesitantly asked.

Bulma twisted her torso around to look back at the young boy. She cocked an eyebrow and questioned him with her eyes skeptically. It wasn't every day the 13-year old boy asked for the Prince of all Saiyans. "Vegeta? Well, he is… but he's training inside the gravity room, like always. Was there something you wanted to ask him?"

"Y-yeah," he quietly answered, "I wanted to ask him about the martial arts tournament coming up. If… if he wanted to join."

"Martial arts tournament?" She questioned, "Hm, well, I can't say for sure, but Vegeta doesn't seem like the type of person who would be interested in that."

"But, I'm sure he would, right? He can compete against other people and-"

"**People**? Weak people."

Cut off, Gohan turned his head towards the familiar, deep voice. Vegeta casually walked into the living room with a towel around his neck and his arms crossed.

"Aw, it would be fun though, why not give it a try?" The half-Saiyan attempted to coerce his superior.

Vegeta simply sneered as he averted his eyes. "There is no 'fun' in bashing in the heads of weaklings. Give me a worthy opponent, and I may reconsider."

Pausing for a moment, Gohan thoughtfully looked up at Vegeta before he furrowed his brow. "Well, what about me?"

An eerie silence filled the room as the full-blooded Saiyan shot a daring look the boy through the corner of his eye. It took a moment, but Vegeta's lips curled into a devious smirk.

He guffawed at the boy's gesture. "Kakarott's brat is challenging me to a fight, is he?" He then walked up to Gohan until they were arm's length apart. Looking down at the boy, he smirked again. "Well I accept your challenge."

Mouth agape, Bulma fell speechless as she heard her prince agree to participate in the tournament – something she felt was completely out of character of him. But then again, she supposed if **Goku** were to compete, he wouldn't let another second pass before he signed up as well. As long as Vegeta had a formidable opponent to face, he wouldn't deny it for the world.

"OK, great!" Gohan grinned before he added, "But there's one other thing."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"If you win the semi-finals, you have to fight against Mr. Satan."

"Mr. Satan?" Bulma piped up.

The prince snorted. "And is this something I should be **concerned** about?"

"Well, no, I suppose not if you're not worried about the constant pestering you would have to deal with when given the World Champion title," Gohan replied, "but, it is a concern of **mine**."

The couple stared at him quizzically.

"I really need to win the prize money for Mom. But I don't want people to invade our privacy because of beating Mr. Satan," he explained.

Vegeta quickly retorted, "Well that won't be happening because I'm going to defeat you. Problem solved."

"Vegeta." Bulma shot a glare at him as she suggestively scolded him. Reverting her attention to Gohan, she smiled. "Well, Gohan, I can help you with that. Why don't I make a disguise for you?"

"A disguise?"

"Sure. It will certainly make it easier for you to join the adult division too. They changed the rules, didn't they?"

"Y-yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed.

He thought for a moment, however. Videl would certainly be looking for him in the junior division. If he were to show up as a disguised "adult", she probably wouldn't be too happy.

'_She did say she was looking for some decent competition this year… but I wouldn't want to embarrass the World Champion's daughter either. That alone would bring in some attention to me... I feel bad, but I better not let her know about my plan.'_ He assessed in his head.

"Alright, Bulma, I'm on board!" He agreed to go with her plan.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Back at home, Gohan decided to take a few more hours of his day to train. He calculated that he had about a month before the tournament. And now that he had competition, he knew he had to utilize this time fruitfully.

Vegeta wasn't going to be a walk in the park – far from it, in fact. Although Gohan knew he surpassed the prince's strength back when they fought Cell, he was also aware of how much one could improve from training in the gravity room for a year. Vegeta had certainly become stronger at this point, and he knew it the moment he sensed the man's Ki back at his home. He also knew the Saiyan wasn't planning on going easy on him either. Gohan just hoped that Vegeta at least had the common sense to suppress enough strength to refrain from blowing up the entire stadium.

The fact that Bulma was going to make a disguise for him made him delighted to know he wouldn't have to suppress too much of his strength, since no one was going to be able to recognize him. His plan was going perfectly. Gohan was sure he was going to be able to participate in the adult division.

'_Wait a minute.'_ He then thought to himself, _'Maybe I can compete in __**both**__ the adult and junior divisions!'_

After finding out more information about the tournament from Bulma while he was visiting, Gohan discovered that they actually present the junior division tournament before the adult one. If he could sign up for the junior division as himself, and the adult division as his disguised self, it would be like killing two birds with one stone! The total prize money for getting at **least** second place in both divisions was surely going to be more than enough to support his family.

Grinning to himself, the half-Saiyan made up his mind.

* * *

><p>End, chapter 2.<p>

A/N: This chapter was shorter than I anticipated, but I decided this was a good place to end at. I know the Gh/Vi interaction lacked here, but don't you worry – it will all be coming up very soon! :)

I hope you enjoyed reading, I appreciate your comments and criticisms!

I'll be posting a new chapter soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Puppy Love**

**Ch.3**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

* * *

><p>After a couple weeks of training, Gohan already felt better about himself. Who needed a gravity room when he had an entire mountain to use as his playground?<p>

Although, the boy did admit it would be nice to have the luxury of training within that gravity room like Vegeta was. Gohan looked past the vast mountains as he halted his punching exercises. It was as if he could envision the Briefs' home at the edge of the horizon. He wondered how Vegeta was doing with his training anyway.

It then occurred to him that he forgot to mention to the prince that they shouldn't transform into a Super Saiyan during the tournament. Surely the man would know that on his own, right? Then again, Gohan wasn't so sure. Vegeta was pretty close-minded when it came to brute strength; he decided he probably should remind him after all. It would also give him an excuse to check the gravity room out for himself.

Bulma greeted Gohan at the door like it was déjà vu. She was cradling baby Trunks in her arms again as she beckoned him in. Except this time, she led him to straight to Vegeta. The boy patiently waited outside the gravity room, knowing all too well how badly the prince's temper would turn if he were to interrupt his training.

"While you're waiting, let me go grab your new disguise for you, Gohan," Bulma suggested.

"Oh, great! Thanks, Bulma," he grinned ear to ear.

A few moments passed and the blue-haired mother walked back in the room with an outfit dangling off a clothes hanger. Gohan tried to peer through the clear, glossy covering that sheathed his disguise, but the plastic was too thick to make out much. Bulma slipped the plastic covering off and revealed to him his awaited garb.

"U-uh, Bulma?" Gohan eyed the questionable suit.

He could feel his eyebrow twitch involuntarily as he gazed upon the colorful outfit she had constructed for him: Black spandex, a green tunic, white gloves and boots – which didn't look that bad, in all honesty. It was the two other decorative pieces that really threw the boy off.

A red cape… and an orange helmet with antennae sticking out…?

Bulma cocked her head to the side, naively questioning the boy of his reaction. Gohan wasn't sure what to say at first. He knew he had to tread lightly when it came to fashion senses with Bulma. She was always aware of the current trends, after all. But this? Hm. Gohan couldn't help but wonder if she was beginning to lose her taste.

"Um, Bulma? I'm not sure this will work out for the tournament," He quietly mentioned.

She frowned in reply, "Why not?"

"W-well," he hesitantly began, "the tournament doesn't allow protective gear..." He couldn't help but go the easy way out on this one. "And the cape could backfire on me – what if someone tries to grab it during a match?"

Pausing for a moment to think, Bulma cradled her chin with her finger. "I suppose you're right. I guess I'll have to alter the suit. Would you mind trying it on quickly to see if I got the measurements right, at least?"

Holding back a cringe, Gohan knew he had to comply. Bulma left the room so he could change. The half-Saiyan took off his clothes and pulled the black spandex on. He draped the green tunic over and secured it with the belt she supplied him with. After slipping the boots and gloves on, he decided to go through with it and snap the red cape onto his shoulders, letting it drape over his back. Gohan hesitated on the next and final step. He stared into the blackness of the helmet's visor as he furrowed his brow in shameful regret.

Just as he positioned the orange helmet above his head to plop onto himself, a door flew open.

Vegeta, who was wiping the sweat off the back of his neck with a towel, froze in place at the sight of the half-Saiyan. His jaw fell slightly as his brow crinkled. His eyes darted up and down the boy's figure, wondering what in the hell he was wearing.

"H-hi, Vegeta," Gohan greeted him as his forced smile twitched at the slightest.

Unsure of how to respond, the prince felt his jaw shift before he decided to clamp his mouth shut, not wanting to accommodate the boy's questionable nature with his words. Before he could make his leave, Bulma blocked Vegeta's exit as she entered through the doorway.

"So, Gohan, how does it fit?" She peered over, checking his costume out.

"I-it, uh, it fits nicely."

Which was true, it did. It just… didn't appeal to many people's tastes – including Gohan's.

"Great! I'll just have to ditch the cape and create a new mask for you. How about a cloth-version of this one?" She pointed at the orange obstruction on his head.

"N-no, that's OK!" Gohan was quick to wave his hands in front of him, denying her solution. "I'll, uh, I'll just wear a pair of sunglasses."

"Well, you need to cover your hair, dear. What about something like this?" Bulma reached over for a nearby towel and walked up to the boy. Taking off his helmet, she replaced it with the white sheet, wrapping it around his head and tying it in the back. She cupped her hands on his shoulders and twirled his body around to face the full-length mirror.

Gohan met his reflection with a mouth and brow twitching like never before. Through the mirror, he could see Vegeta standing behind him, who seemed to decorate his own face with a similar expression. Gohan's shoulders slumped at the ridiculous headdress that adorned his outfit. "A-ah, um, I'm not sure. This feels a little flimsy… I'm sure Vegeta's Ki could easily rip this off my head within seconds."

The prince wanted to smirk at the boy's indirect compliment, but his impatience got the best of him as he listened to another one of Gohan's excuses.

"Just tell the woman it looks like shit, already." He sneered.

Bulma violently swung her head towards her husband. "Shit?" She roared. "I'll tell you what's shit, Vegeta! You! Go shower already, you're stinking up the entire house. Oh, and did I mention your attitude is, too? Who asked you, anyway?" She rolled her eyes before she turned her attention back to an extremely embarrassed Gohan.

He swore, if that blue-haired bitch weren't his mate, Vegeta would teach her a lesson or two. Well, that's what he wanted to think. But, he couldn't, and he knew it. It baffled him how a mere human was able to lash at him like that without feeling the repercussions of his wrath. The prince crossed his arms and scowled as he attempted to control his anger and frustration.

"Vegeta, before you go, I need to tell you," Gohan piped up, "Don't turn Super Saiyan at the tournament, OK?"

The prince redirected his menacing glare from his wife to the boy. "Don't tell me what to do, brat."

"But, Vegeta, everyone will recognize you from the Cell Games. Unless you want a disguise like mine, then I guess there wouldn't be a problem if you did transform."

Quick to react, Vegeta's eyes bugged out as he bore his fangs. "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing something like that!" At that, he stomped out of the room to shower off the 'shit' that was allegedly stinking up his home.

Wanting to veer away from the topic of his tournament outfit, Gohan peered up at the blue-haired woman, who was still shaking her head at her Saiyan prince. "Hey, Bulma? I was wondering if I could check your gravity room out, now that Vegeta's not using it for the time being."

She looked over at the boy and smiled. "Of course, Gohan. Use it as much as you like. That dumbass husband of mine will just have to learn to share, now won't he?"

Gohan cringed, knowing all too well she was planning on using this as artillery against the hot-tempered man. Nevertheless, he accepted her offer and stepped into the gravity room. Taking off the red cape and towel wrapped around his head, Gohan loosened up before he decided to mess with the gravity chamber's controls.

After a good stretch, he peered at the panel of buttons, eyeing the screen above them. _'I suppose I should start with two hundred times Earth's gravity. Don't want to push myself too hard at first.'_ He assessed to himself as he punched in a few commands.

Bracing himself, Gohan felt a sudden mass of weight fall on his entire being. His legs trembled underneath the immense gravity as his back and shoulders slumped involuntarily. Regaining his composure, the half-Saiyan gritted his teeth before he tensed his muscles in order to resist the weighted pressure. He could feel the muscles in his thighs and arms burning as he rebelled against the gravity.

"Oomf… man, this is kind of hard! It's definitely been a while," He muttered to himself with some needed effort. Mustering up his Ki, Gohan's energy surged as he utilized it to manipulate his strength. The beads of sweat on his forehead diminished as he felt less resistance against the gravity. He stood himself up straight as he casually rolled his shoulders back, loosening the tension around his neck.

"Much better!" He grinned to himself, as he bounced in place, ready to train his heart out.

o (o) (O) (o) o

After a hardy workout, Gohan changed back into his clothes and took his leave from the Briefs' residence. As he walked down the road, he thought to himself, wondering what he would do about masking his face at the tournament. Maybe he should just wear a sheet over his head. Or just have Bulma make that mask she suggested. It's not like anyone would connect the hideous mask to himself, seeing that he would be disguised, after all.

Gohan would have pondered on that thought longer, if he didn't just slam into someone.

Rebounding from the impact, Gohan stumbled over his feet as he regained his balance. Shaking his head a couple times to get a sense of direction again, he laid eyes on a flattened out Videl, who winced as she rubbed her back.

"V-Videl?" The boy remarked in surprise.

Looking up from the ground, the pigtailed girl gasped in similar surprise. "Gohan?"

She stood up from the ground with the help of his hand. She suddenly looked past the half-Saiyan, swiveling her head side to side in search of something. Scrunching her face up, she cursed under her breath. "Damnit."

Gohan looked at her quizzically, cocking his head to one side. He wondered if she had just come around the corner, hence why he didn't see her run into him.

"I lost him." She growled.

"L-lost him?" He questioned.

"Did you see a kid run past here? About your height, with a buzz cut?"

Gohan thought for a moment. He couldn't recall anyone walking past him once he left Bulma and Vegeta's, so he shook his head.

Huffing out a defeated sigh, Videl's eyes went downcast as her shoulders slumped. "Stupid kid. I was with my papa, visiting some dojos here in West City when I caught him stealing from the arcade back there." She then looked up at Gohan. "What about you? Shouldn't you be at school where you live?" Her eyebrow cocked as she glared at him.

"Y-yes, but I'm home-schooled," he explained, not even bothering to ask her why she wasn't in school either. It seemed the life of the famous family had it easy.

"Oh," Videl peered at him in curiosity and slight envy. "Wish I were home-schooled. Public school's such a drag sometimes."

"Heh, I guess home-schooling has its perks, doesn't it?" Gohan sheepishly laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Quick to change the subject, Videl asked, "So, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was visiting a family friend of mine." The boy pointed at the Briefs' home directly in back of him.

"C-Capsule Corporation?" Videl stammered, "B-but, doesn't that famous inventor live there?"

"The Briefs? Yup." He replied nonchalantly. "They're good people."

Unsure of how to respond to his lax answer, Videl stared at the boy with her mouth slightly ajar.

Gohan continued, "I was just training for the tournament inside there. They've got some nice equipment," he hesitated on mentioning the gravity room itself.

"Really? That's great! I've been training too, you know," Grinning, Videl pumped her fist in the air as she took a hold of her bicep with her other hand. "Bet you can't out-train me, Gohan," she teased.

Letting out a coy laugh, Gohan grinned at her innocently as he laced his fingers together at the base of his neck.

"Hey, let's have a sparring match!" Videl suddenly suggested, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Befuddled by her sudden outburst, Gohan wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to accept her offer. After all, he didn't want to show her his real powers. But then again, this might have been a great opportunity to practice suppressing his strength for the upcoming tournament.

Taking a moment to think, Gohan finally nodded in agreement – tentatively.

Pointing to the park nearby, Videl motioned him to follow her there. He watched her bounce around in delight as they walked (well, I guess you could say she was skipping – Gohan was walking). She was clearly pumped up for this. The half-Saiyan gulped as he hoped he wasn't going to give himself away.

Entering the park, the two stood at a decent distance from each other, bodies aligned, eyes connected. Videl quickly stepped back as she showed off her fighting stance. It was clear to Gohan that she had almost mastered the technique of minimizing any openings in her posture. The blue-eyed girl certainly impressed the boy. For a normal kid their age, it was rare to feel the type of combative Ki Videl emitted. Grinning at the discovery, Gohan also stepped back into a slight stance.

Videl eyed the onyx-haired boy, studying his less-than sturdy composure. Surely this wasn't his actual fighting spirit, was it? He barely looked as though he was prepared for a strike. His stance looked nothing close to the fierceness in hers.

'_I'll just have to see for myself, I guess!'_ At that, Videl lunged at the boy.

Quick to act, the pigtailed girl shot her fist out, attempting to jab at Gohan with a direct punch. Unable to connect her fist to his face, Videl attempted again, hurling a right-hook. However, Gohan was able to dodge her attack again with ease.

Frowning at her failed attempts, Videl tensed her body as she bombarded him with multiple attacks – fiercely swinging her legs and arms in hopes to land her kicks and punches.

However, as expected, the raven-haired girl was unable to succeed. Gohan managed to dodge and block every one of her shots.

Distancing herself from the impressive boy to regain her composition, Videl growled. "Why won't you hit me? C'mon! Lay it on me. Don't hold back because I'm a girl."

'_If only it were because you're a girl…'_ Gohan sighed in his head.

Angered that he wasn't responding the way most fighters would, Videl decided to initiate the first strike again and hurled herself towards the inactive boy. Thinking she was cunning with her attack, Videl was sure of herself that she was going to be able to land a punch. However, once again, she was proven wrong. Gohan maneuvered himself to the side at the last second, letting her powerful punch whiz past his ear. He quickly grabbed her arm and twisted himself around, catapulting the girl over his back.

Videl landed with a big thud by a park bench.

Gohan had to blink a couple times before he registered what he had done. He didn't think he was going to hurl her across the park like he did.

"Crap…" he muttered under his breath as he ran up to her. "Are you OK? Did I hurt you?"

He crouched down to level his eyes with hers. Worried and concerned, anxiety washed over his face as he watched Videl's face scrunch up in pain.

"I'm so sorry, Videl, let me help you," Gohan reached his hand out to help hoist herself up. But his hand was quickly slapped away. Startled, he looked up at the girl, unsure of what to say, or how to act as he watched droplets of water cradle within the crevices of her eyes.

As Gohan panicked at the fact he had just made her cry, Videl slowly hobbled upwards to stand on her feet as she clenched her fists into a ball.

"Don't…" she said through gritted teeth, "Don't baby me!" She roared.

Taken aback, Gohan literally jumped in place due to her outburst.

Glaring at him, Videl's glossy blue eyes were practically shooting daggers at the poor boy. "You… you think you're so good, that you have to come ask me if I'm OK after an attack like that?" She hissed.

Little did Gohan know, Videl was feeling an immense amount of pain shoot up her spine from the impact. But she would never allow herself to show her weaknesses to **anyone**. Those tears weren't because of how badly she was hurting, they were because of how frustrated she was with his coddling.

Yeah right.

But, Gohan didn't need to know that.

"I-I'm sorry," the boy hushed as his eyes fell to gaze at the grassy ground.

Videl peered up through the corner of her eyes, studying his genuine remorse. She couldn't help the light blush that grazed across her cheeks as she suddenly felt bad for lashing out at him.

Still wanting to keep up with her tough-girl image, Videl huffed as she crossed her arms, her button nose high in the air. "Just don't do it again, OK?"

She then peered through one open eye at Gohan for a response. Still looking at the ground, Gohan stayed motionless.

Videl uncrossed her arms, relaxing her stern composure. She walked over to stand by his side and slapped a hand on his back, grinning. "Hey now. Don't be sore about it. Just don't hold back at the tournament!"

Gohan looked behind him at the smiling pigtailed girl with dumbfounded eyes. He quickly transformed his curious gaze to a hearty smile, glad to see she wasn't crying – or frowning for that matter.

There moment of silence was quickly interrupted by a loud, imposing, throaty voice.

"Angel! There you are; I've been looking all over for you, Pumpkin!"

The two twirled around, only to see a bulky figure flailing his arms as his legs violently pedaled to a run. Gohan immediately caught eye of Videl's shake of the head – clearly disproving of her father's embarrassing pet names.

"Hi, Papa," she mumbled as the World Champion approached the two kids.

"Where did you run off to? I thought you wanted to grab some ice cream after visiting the dojo? C'mon, Sugar-pie, let's go do that, huh?" Mr. Satan quickly planted his hands on Videl's shoulders to guide her out of the park.

Shrugging her father's hands off of her, Videl frowned as she looked up at the martial artist. "Papa, I didn't want ice cream, you did."

Quickly dismissing her claim with a boisterous laughter – a claim the two knew was all too true – he continued to shoo his daughter away from the unacknowledged half-Saiyan. Gohan's eyes met Videl's as she was dragged away by her father, and couldn't help but feel a little flustered as she flashed a quick smile at him before she disappeared in front of Mr. Satan's hulking body.

For some reason, whether he was aware of it or not, Gohan couldn't wait to see Videl again.

o (o) (O) (o) o

The onyx-haired boy was glad that Mr. Satan didn't recognize him when he came to pick his daughter up. It was likely because Gohan wasn't transformed into a Super Saiyan, but nevertheless, one could never be too careful.

"So, Gohan, how was visiting Bulma's?" ChiChi interrupted his thoughts as she laid out several plated meals in front of him on the kitchen table.

Already stuffing his mouth, Gohan babbled, "Mmf, ir wus gud… ghmff… she mah mre a gosdoom… rmf…"

Slapping the boy upside the head, she almost made the half-Saiyan choke to death. "What did I tell you about talking with your mouth full?"

Feeling as though he was going to suffocate, Gohan quickly grabbed his drink and chugged down the food lodged in his throat.

"I said," he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "Bulma made me a costume."

"A costume? What for? It's not Halloween, is it?"

Gohan was puzzled at the fact his mother actually had to think about what month it was. He then clarified, "No, for the tournament. I want to enter the adult division with Vegeta-"

"V-Vegeta?" ChiChi yelped in shock, "Y-You can't fight against Vegeta, he'll maim you!"

"Aw, Mom, I need **some** kind of challenge at the tournament, or else it'll be no fun."

"But don't you see, Gohan? Vegeta might win the prize money and take it away from us!" ChiChi exclaimed, clearly infuriated by the slimming chance of winning first place.

'_Way to believe in me, Mom.'_ Gohan couldn't help but want to roll his eyes.

He decided to dismiss his mother's worries and go for it anyway. Besides, he couldn't recall fighting against the prince ever since he was a young child. Although his role in defeating the once-Earth-threatening-Vegeta was significant, Gohan really couldn't remember much of his contributions. That's typically what would happen when one transformed into Oozaru, anyhow.

Now, not only did he have an opportunity to test his strength, he also had the opportunity to have a fair (and memorable) rematch against the prince of Saiyans.

Only two weeks left until the tournament.

* * *

><p>End, chapter 3.<p>

A/N: Some innocent Gh/Vi interaction. Do I detect a subconscious spark of interest? ;)

I hope this chapter was enjoyable… I'm not sure where I'm leading this fic, lol. Is my pace too slow? Like never-ending-dbz-episode-waiting-for-spirit-bomb-slow? Or too fast? Just right? Let me know!

I also took note of a couple reviews, requesting that I don't use Saiyaman's costume as Gohan's adult division disguise. I personally don't mind the outfit minus the cape and helmet. So, the cape will be nixed, and I'll have to think about his headdress later. Suggestions would be nice. :)

However… I can't say I **won't** use Saiyaman later on when he's older… (insert ominous music here?) Who knows, I might keep the altered costume rather than the original.

Thanks for all your reviews; I appreciate any further comments and criticisms!


	4. Chapter 4

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 4**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

* * *

><p>"Papa?"<p>

The hulking mustached man turned his attention to his daughter, "What is it, Pumpkin?"

The little girl's cerulean eyes darted around the television screen, "Who's he? Why's he like that? And why is he like that too? Or him? Or even that guy over there?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, darlin'. Those guys are just showing off with their flashy tricks. It's magic," Mr. Satan nonchalantly reassured her.

"I want to learn how to do that then. Papa, can you teach me?" A wide smile formed along Videl's cheeks as she craned her neck to gaze up at her father.

He quickly waved his hands frantically in front of him and stammered, "N-no, honey, I can't teach you that! Er, these tricks are for losers! All that flying, super-fast, glowing, rock-exploding stuff they do just tells ya they're all weaklings!" he huffed, "They just wanna be like me, is all – the World Champion! The strongest man alive! Bwahaha!"

As her father boisterously let out his trademark laugh, Videl set her eyes back onto the TV screen. She watched as a young boy stood there on the tournament grounds. She gazed at his glowing physique, her eyes curiously wandering from head to toe in awe.

'_How is that kid glowing like that? It's like he's creating a wind storm with that golden light! It's not just him… it's all four of them! What's up with these golden-haired people?'_

Videl wanted to know. She needed to know.

How were these men so powerful? How was that boy so powerful? He looked about her age, and as far as she was concerned, Videl was the strongest she knew of out of all the kids her age.

The four golden-haired men she saw broadcasted the day of the Cell Games baffled her. They maneuvered so quickly, on the ground or in the sky. They crushed rocks in their paths as if they were made from powdery snow. Videl couldn't recall ever seeing her father in action like these guys. Not even close. Yet, he was the one who ultimately defeated Cell in the end.

'_Maybe Papa is right, that they're are all magic tricks… there's no way anyone can throw fireballs like in a video game… they gotta be like glowing grenades or something! …But still...'_

Videl just couldn't wrap her head around it.

She truly believed her father defeated that diabolical monster. What child of the World Champion wouldn't?

Things just didn't seem to add up. Nevertheless, Videl attempted to suppress her doubts under the hidden pretense of her father's victory. And she continued to suppress those doubts even a year later.

o (o) (O) (o) o

However a year later, that very same boy Videl pondered about during the Cell Games was training hard for the upcoming tournament. He would be making his appearance in front of the public mass to display those magical fighting skills that had left Videl so awestruck.

Disguised as an adult, of course.

Gohan wouldn't dare show his Super Saiyan form in front of such a large audience. Especially not in front of the daughter of the World Champion. If she were to find out he was there at the Cell Games… well, he wasn't sure what he would do. Possibly hide at home for a few years like a hermit.

Gohan knew this was going to be a challenge. Vegeta would be at the tournament as well, and the boy was certain he and the prince would be battling against each other. There was no doubt in the half-Saiyan's mind that he would likely need to turn Super Saiyan during their match.

If only he was allowed to wear a helmet. The tournament regulations forbade the use of protective gear, however. Anything less would tear right off his head though.

"Maybe you could dye your hair, Gohan," Bulma interrupted his thought process as she laid a plate full of buffalo wings in front of him.

"Dye my hair?" The half-Saiyan questioned her suggestion skeptically, "Uh, I don't know… would that even work? I know Mom would throw a fit if I dyed it," he then ran his fingers through his spiky, jet-black hair.

"I suppose you're right, ChiChi's upset enough about your transformations as it is," she agreed.

Gohan sat there, staring at his plate in thought. He wondered if dying his hair really would work. Would his transformation override the color, regardless? It certainly would be an interesting experiment at the least.

"Bulma," he piped up after a moment, "can I use your hair dye?"

The blue-haired woman's eyebrows perked up as her mouth fell agape, "My hair dye?" Her expression quickly transformed into a menacing scowl, narrowing her eyes at the thirteen-year old boy sitting at her kitchen table, "What makes you think for one second I dye my hair?"

Gohan gulped, sensing her offended mannerism, "I, uh – "

Startling the two, Vegeta chimed in with a guffaw as he put a half-eaten wing back down on his plate. "Woman, don't deny it. You've been dying your hair for the past four months. Always complaining about those 'grey hairs'."

Redirecting her frown and glaring eyes at her husband, Bulma retorted with a sneer, "Well, **sorry** you freakish aliens don't experience aging! You guys have no idea what it's like to have to maintain your body to stay young-looking!"

"We're not immortal, you know. We age. We just don't deteriorate as quickly as you humans do. Pitiful, really," a small smirk formed on his face as he talked down at his mate, enjoying her writhe in an angered envy, "Our hair will always stay the same color no matter how old we get."

"**Stay the same color?**" she haughtily laughed back at him, "You guys change your hair color as much as I change clothes in the dressing room!"

Feeling uneasy about the argument he unintentionally initiated, Gohan attempted to chime in, unsure of how to tread carefully in this situation, "Um… so… could I borrow some of your dye?"

Violently swinging her head back towards the young boy, Bulma furrowed her brow even more as she spoke through gritted teeth, "Ugh, fine! Whatever! Do what you want."

Flinching at her outburst, Gohan watched her storm out of the kitchen through the corner of his eye.

"Stupid woman," Vegeta muttered as he picked his half-eaten buffalo wing back up again.

"V-Vegeta, do you want to dye your hair, too? We could fight all out, if you did."

Giving him a long stare through the black holes in his eyes, Vegeta's face remained frozen in that scowling manner, "Ask me when it's Halloween, and I might consider looking like a Smurf."

"Uh, never mind," Gohan quietly retracted his question back from the sarcastic prince.

Nevertheless, Vegeta had a point. Was Gohan really going to go through with it and dye his hair blue? His mother definitely wouldn't approve of that. Sure, it was Bulma's natural color of course, but if Gohan were to show up at home later that day with his black hair turned blue, he'd be the epitome of a delinquent in ChiChi's eyes. If he could find a more subtle color to experiment with, then that might not be so bad.

He decided it was time to go visit the store.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan ended up flying to Orange Star – er, Satan City. It was hard getting used to the city's new name, but regardless, he knew that the best shopping centers lay within the metropolis.

Landing just outside of the city, Gohan walked in and headed towards the nearest plaza. He looked around, left and right, eyeing the store names for anything that might carry dye. Spotting a salon, he decided to give them a shot.

Peering in, Gohan was immediately greeted by a high-pitched, enthusiastic voice.

"Welcome! How are you doing today, are you looking to get a hair-cut?" a young woman smiled at him from ear to ear.

"N-no, I'm looking for some hair dye," he responded.

"Oh, well, come with me, I can show you our latest products!" she beckoned the half-Saiyan to follow her to the shelves of hair products.

"What color are you looking to buy?"

"Um, something natural, but different than what I have now, I guess," he pointed at his head of hair.

"Well, how about blonde? It's drastic enough of a change, yet nothing too crazy."

"N-no!" Gohan frantically burst out. The last thing he ever needed was blonde dye, "What about a light brown?"

Pouting, the salon worker picked up a bottle of dye, "This here will do the trick. Black to brunette sounds a little boring, but whatever you want, honey."

Grinning in satisfaction, Gohan received the bottle from the woman, "Perfect."

The boy bought the dye and was about to leave before the woman piped up, "Just so you know –You'll have to bleach it before you put the dye in, or else the color won't show up very well."

'_Bleach it? She's gotta be joking… Mom will kill me if I do that!'_ however, Gohan quickly turned his line of thinking, _'Wait a minute. That's perfect! If this works out like I think it will, all I have to do is put the dye in my hair then turn Super Saiyan! Without my transformation, it will look like I never even touched my hair.'_

The half-Saiyan walked out of the salon satisfied with his new purchase. As he looked left and right, scanning the area, he began to ponder about a certain pigtailed girl.

'_That's right, Videl lives in this city… I wonder what she's up to right now.'_

Curious to find her, he decided to ascend to the sky when no one was looking. He wasn't sure why he wanted to find her. There was no particular reason. But he liked being around her. He enjoyed talking to her and watching her expressions change as fast as his mother's did. It could've been the fact they had bumped into each other so frequently as of late; enough that Gohan thought it would be nice to bump into her again.

Realizing it was a bit of a stretch to scan the entire city for a single girl, he decided to come to a halt in the sky and close his eyes in a deep focus. He tried to remember back to last week, when Videl had challenged him to a sparring match. The Ki she had emitted was one to remember, so he was sure he could find her by sensing it.

Gohan reached far and wide across Satan City, sensing the various Ki's emitting from the bodies below him. It was definitely a difficult task – Videl's really wasn't all that strong compared to other folks within the metropolis, but he at least got a sense of its uniqueness so that he could spot it – and he did.

His eyes flew open at the feel of her Ki. It was small, but it was certainly nearby. He could tell she wasn't training or exerting much physical force due to its size. Delighted to discover her location, Gohan immediately headed towards the source of energy.

As her Ki felt closer and closer, Gohan stopped in mid-air and scanned the area directly in front of him.

'_Orange Star Junior High,'_ he read the sign on the gate in front of the large building, _'I guess she's at school for once.'_

Gohan felt a rush of disappointment. He really was looking forward to saying hello to the blue-eyed girl again. Nevertheless, he still landed himself on top of the school building.

He walked along the edge of the roof, balancing himself on the ledge, quietly thinking to himself. He had no idea when public school normally got out, but he had nothing to do at the moment (except dye his hair), so he didn't mind waiting.

It was as if he had perfect timing. As Gohan circled around the edge of the roof once more, a door swung open. A young blonde girl came running through, looking behind her as she laughed and grinned. Not a second passed when a pigtailed blur came running through as well, trailing not far behind.

"Erasa! Wait up!" the girl called out.

She suddenly came to a halting stop. Gazing past her friend, she set her blue eyes on the familiar boy. Her face expressed a mix of emotions – surprise, confusion, and delight – all before she walked up to him.

"Gohan!" Videl happily greeted him, "What are you doing here? Did you just transfer?"

He smiled as he shook his head, "No, I'm just visiting."

Videl looked at him quizzically, wondering what he was doing visiting the roof of her school.

"Did you just get out?" he asked as he jumped off from the ledge.

"N-no, it's lunch time right now. This is my friend Erasa – we usually eat lunch on the roof," Videl pointed at her bubbly short-haired friend who waved hello.

"Wanna join us?" Quick to welcome him, Erasa asked, dismissing any curiosity as to why this random boy was on their school's roof. She wasn't the type to ponder long about many things anyway.

"S-sure," Gohan smiled. He sat down next to the two girls as they laid out their lunch.

"What's in the bag, lunch?" Erasa peered at his hand as she fumbled to open her lunch box.

"O-oh, it's nothing…"

Deviously narrowing her eyes, Videl smirked before she snatched the bag from him, catching him off guard.

"H-hey!"

As she looked in the bag, Gohan watched her expression change to befuddlement, "What's this? Hair dye?" she picked up the bottle in her hand, examining its label.

"Uh, heh, yeah. It's – it's for my mom," he babbled the first excuse that popped in his head.

"Ho?" Erasa shot the boy a wily look as she teased him, "I bet you were gonna use that on your own hair. You delinquent, you!"

Waving his hands in front of him in denial, Gohan's face flushed, "N-no!"

Taking a moment to look from the bottle of dye to the boy's reddened face, Videl's own cheeks flushed as she quietly muttered, "I think you look fine the way you are now, Gohan."

Erasa had to do a double-take, staring at her friend in slight bewilderment. That look on her face… well, it was certainly new to her.

"T-thanks," the half-Saiyan quietly replied back with a sheepish grin.

The young blonde looked back and forth between the two. After a rare moment of analytical thought, Erasa smirked as she speculated the type of chemistry between the two.

"Videl, I'm gonna go find Sharpner. I'll be back later!"

Before her pigtailed friend could reply, Erasa hopped up off the ground with her lunch and took off to the door.

"W-wha?"

At that, the sound of the roof's door shut behind her friend.

"That was weird," Videl cocked an eyebrow, "Just a second ago, she said she didn't want to eat lunch with Sharpner."

The cerulean-eyed girl's ears suddenly perked up as a loud rumble and groan emitted from nearby. She swung her head around and noticed Gohan blushing even more than before. He cradled his belly in his hand as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Again, the strangled grumbling noise consumed the silent atmosphere.

Sheepishly laughing, Gohan flashed a coy grin as he looked down at the ground, "Heh, um, I didn't eat lunch yet," he meekly explained his stomach's outbursts.

Taking a second to register the inhuman noise as Gohan's rumbling tummy, Videl muffled a laugh, "Why didn't you say so? I can grab some lunch for you!"

Looking back up at her, Gohan watched Videl stand up and flash an assuring smile at him. She then walked up to the roof's door and latched onto the handle. Pulling it at first, Videl thought she must have grabbed it at a weird angle. She then pulled at the handle again, only to realize the door was locked.

"Uh-oh…" Videl gasped as she tried to pull at the handle with both hands, exerting as much strength as possible.

Gohan stood up and walked up behind her, "It's locked?"

She replied with a hesitant nod, quickly flashing a frown, "That Erasa. She didn't think about the fact we were still up here and closed the door all the way! Now we're locked up here until someone opens the door from inside."

Scratching his head, the half-Saiyan pondered for a moment before he gently pushed Videl out of the way. The pigtailed girl watched him curiously as he stood in front of the door. Hands in his pockets, he casually swung one of his legs forward. Kicking the bottom of the door, it violently swung open accompanied with a shattering metal sound.

"G-G-Gohan…" astonished, Videl gazed at the broken door with widened eyes, "T-that door wasn't supposed to open that way."

"O-oh, oops-"

BEEP… BEEP… BEEP… BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

"The fire alarm! Oh no!" Videl jumped at the sound of the imposing alarm as she looked left and right.

Puzzled, Gohan watched the frantic girl dash around the roof in complete disorientation.

"What do we do? Crap, we're in trouble now, Gohan! We're not even supposed to be up here in the first place!" her blue eyes pleaded him for a means to escape the trouble they were headed in for.

Without a moment to lose, the young boy grabbed Videl's hand and dragged her down the stairs from the roof. Sneaking their way through the hallways, their tracks were stopped by crowds of kids lining out of the classrooms to exit the building.

He suddenly felt a hand fall on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he gazed up at the man who gently ushered him to follow the crowd.

As the two exited the building along with the other kids, Videl gave the boy a light nudge as she whispered, "I think they all think you're a student here, Gohan."

Taking note of her observation, she seemed to be right on the dot. Here he was, lined up with Videl's classmates standing outside Orange Star Junior High.

"Hey… it's you, Gohan! What are you doing here?"

The half-Saiyan turned around to see a bob of blonde hair, "E-Erasa, right?" he attempted to recall her name.

She nodded, "Videl told me you don't go to this school. What are you doing, lined up here with us?"

"Er, heh, well-" he wasn't sure how to explain.

"Where else was he supposed to go, Erasa?" Videl chimed in, "You know we're not allowed on the roof. Oh, and thanks for locking us out, by the way!"

Catching on to her sarcastic tone, embarrassment and guilt washed over her face, "I'm sorry, Videl! I wasn't thinking."

As Gohan scanned the area, he noticed a handful of eyes staring directly at him. Apparently the kids here were catching on quick that they could not recognize him. Nervously, the half-Saiyan averted his eyes from the crowd of kids and looked off to the side.

"Here, Gohan," the pigtailed girl reached down and pulled a badge off from her shirt, "Put this on you so the teachers will think you belong here."

"What about you, Videl?" Gohan pointed at the now vacant spot on her clothes.

Grinning, she assured him, "Don't worry. Everyone knows who I am. They don't ask me questions."

Content with her answer, Gohan pinned her badge onto his white Mandarin style shirt. Before he could say anything more to her, Videl wandered out of line to one of the adults nearby.

"Hey, teach?"

"What is it, Videl?"

"May I be excused? My papa told me he needs me. It's an emergency," the words rolled off her tongue like she had practiced that phrase a million times before.

"Of course."

At that, Videl walked back over. Without a word, she quickly grabbed Gohan's hand and guided him away from the crowds of school kids. They snuck through the back and managed to leave the school grounds undetected.

As Videl sighed in relief, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Gohan handing her the school badge back.

"Looks like I didn't really need it, after all," the boy smiled.

Smiling back, she received her badge as a longing tone emitted from her tiny voice, "You know, it would be nice if you did go to my school."

He questioned her with his eyes as he cocked his head.

"You're… interesting to say the least, Gohan." Videl didn't feel a need to explain any further. That certainly was the epitome of what she thought of the onyx-haired boy. There was never a dull moment with him.

Gohan never wanted to attend public school. His mother always threatened to enroll him if he didn't comply with her wishes. He loved the fact he had the freedom to do as he pleased as long as he finished his studies prior, and public school wouldn't let that happen. He'd be stuck in that institution for seven long hours of repetitive boredom.

However, it seemed his line of thinking was beginning to change. All because of the little girl standing in front of him. Maybe public school wouldn't be so bad after all.

"What are you going to do now?" Videl asked him with curious eyes.

Without noticing the rosy color flashing over her cheeks, Gohan naïvely replied, "I think I'll just head home. I need to uh, bring this dye back to my mom."

"Oh."

The young boy noticed the waver in her voice, but couldn't put a finger on why she sounded glum. As if her hopes had just dropped.

Flashing a warm smile, he managed to comfort her, "We'll probably bump into each other again real soon."

She grinned back at him, "If not, I'll see you at the tournament!"

o (o) (O) (o) o

Back at home, Gohan decided to experiment with the hair dye he had bought. Reading the directions, he complied with each step – with the exception of bleaching his hair first.

As he waited for the allotted time to pass for the dye to work, he crossed his fingers in hopes it wouldn't come out horribly wrong.

The time passed quickly and Gohan washed his hair out. Letting it dry, he didn't notice much change.

"Hm. Looks a little brown now, but not by much," he ran his fingers through the tips of his hair as he examined the new color, "Well, let's see if this worked out the way I planned."

At that, Gohan mustered up his Ki and built it up inside of him. Reaching the point where he was able to release his energy to complete his Super Saiyan transformation, the half-Saiyan suddenly noticed a few brown specs floating around his golden aura.

Gohan looked back in the mirror and practically yelped at the sight. His golden hair was blotched with specs of light brown, where the rest of the brown dye was either splattered all over the bathroom walls or circling within his aura.

"Uh-oh…" was all he could manage to sputter out as he aimlessly gazed at the mess he had created, "Methinks I need a change of plans…"

* * *

><p>End, chapter 4.<p>

A/N: **Big thanks to **_**Lets Random**_** for betareading this chapter!** Check his fics out. Do it! :)

Consider this a… filler episode!

But really, because I was having some trouble trying to figure out how to disguise Gohan, I decided, heck why not write a chapter about it. I do have a plan about the hair dye, though. :)

The plot will pick up next chapter, I promise!

Comments, criticisms, and suggestions are always appreciated! Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 5**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: Special thanks to **ZeraZion** and **lovedove** who gave me some great ideas for this fic! And another special thanks to **Lets Random** for beta-reading this chapter!

* * *

><p>Gohan was running out of time.<p>

The martial arts tournament was three days away and he had yet to figure out a way to conceal his identity for the adult division. The hair dye didn't work the way he hoped it would – no, far from it, in fact. It merely exploded off his head of hair from the force of his Ki. Although training was his top priority, he still worried over this problem.

The fact of the matter was: if Gohan couldn't find a proper disguise for himself, he wouldn't be able to enter the adult division; period.

He decided it was time to seek advice elsewhere. Petty disguises like masks and hair dye just wasn't going to cut it. He was still a kid, and therefore he would still look like a kid.

After eating breakfast and finishing up his studies before ChiChi threw a fit, Gohan thought it would be a good idea to visit Uranai Baba. Able to sense her Ki, he knew she had been visiting Master Roshi frequently as of late, so he headed south to the Kame House.

The half-Saiyan spotted the fortuneteller outside on the beached island. Honing in, Gohan's ears perked, listening to the witch's chanting as she stretched her arms and hands out to her levitating crystal ball, "Oh, hoi, hoi, hoi, poi…"

Landing but a few feet away from her, Gohan watched Baba turn her attention to him.

"Well, well! Gohan, it's nice to see you here. It's been a while," her wrinkled lips curled into a welcoming smile.

"Hi, Baba. It's nice to see you," he warmly replied, "What were you looking at?" he pointed at her crystal ball in curiosity.

"The winner of the Tenkaichi Budukai Tournament," she turned back to her fortunetelling ball.

"R-really?" Gohan's interest perked up, "Who is it? Who's the winner?"

"Not telling," she dismissed his curiosity with a wave of a hand. Peering out of the corner of her eye, Baba smirked as she watched the boy's face turn glum, "I'm just pulling your leg. You really think I would use my powers to see who would win a silly tournament?" she guffawed.

Pouting, Gohan whined, "Aw, that was dirty!"

Clearing her throat, Baba's expression became stoic, "You came here to see me, correct?"

"That's right. I was hoping you could help me out."

The witch nodded at him to continue, "What is it you need?"

"I need to properly disguise myself for the tournament's adult division. There's only three days left and I'm out of ideas. You wouldn't happen to know any tricks up your sleeve, would you?"

"A disguise for the adult division?" she pondered on the thought, "You need to look like a man and not a kid, correct? Why, that's simple."

"Really? So you'll help me out?" Gohan burst out in enthusiasm.

"Anything for Goku's kid. Come back in a little bit and I'll have the perfect disguise concocted for you."

"T-thanks!" Gohan was relieved that visiting Baba went smoother than he thought it would go. Knowing of her and Master Roshi's relationship, he had mentally prepared himself for a heated sibling feud in the midst of it all. However his cognitive efforts were not met with the usual bickering that would generally occur.

The half-Saiyan figured he would train while he waited. He couldn't help but wonder how Vegeta was doing with his training, and how much he had trained this past month in comparison to himself. Of course, Vegeta had always dedicated his whole life to becoming stronger, so it may have been safe to say the prince's training was far more intense than his own. Gohan at least knew that the man was not focused on suppressing his strength in front of such a large audience like he was.

'_Maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe I shouldn't be so focused on limiting my strength. Mom would have a fit if I lost to Vegeta after all…'_ the boy thought to himself. He then violently shook his head, clearing his mind, _'What am I thinking? Of course I need to limit my strength. I don't want to blow up an entire stadium now, do I?'_

It didn't seem to take long until Baba floated out of the Kame House on her crystal ball. In her hand she carried a small tube filled with a pink liquid.

Gohan halted his exercises and walked up to Baba, pointing at the tube in a quizzical manner.

The witch nodded at his silent question before she stated, "It's finished," she then looked down at the liquid-filled tube in her hand, "Now Gohan, the instructions are simple: just drink it," she then handed it over to the boy with a smile.

"B-but… aren't you going to tell me what it does?" raising an eyebrow, he became hesitant on taking the tube from her.

Frowning, Baba swung her head to the side with a huff, "You came to me for my help, didn't you? It's 'take it or leave it'!"

With a deep breath, Gohan decided to hell with it. He grabbed the tube from the fortuneteller and studied the pink liquid inside. Furrowing his brow at the concocted drink and then to Baba, he repeated her words, "Just drink it, huh?"

She nodded, "The amount you drink will determine how long the disguise will stay in effect for."

"OK… so if I just want to test it out for now, I should just take a sip," the boy assessed.

At that, Gohan popped the cork off the tube and sipped the pink liquid. Replacing the cork, the boy blinked a few times, curious to know if his appearance changed in any way.

With a sudden pop, smoke quickly engulfed the boy's figure. A moment or two passed before the smoke began to clear, revealing the heart of Baba's concoction.

She smirked, "Works better than I anticipated!"

Gohan felt somewhat disoriented. Baba looked smaller than a moment ago. The distance from his eyes to the ground seemed further away. His clothes felt tighter around his body. He looked down at his hands and furrowed his brow. Did he really just transform like the fortuneteller was indicating? He didn't look any different, at least from what he could perceive of himself.

The boy walked into the house and headed into the bathroom. Peering at the full-length mirror, he gasped at the stranger looking back at him. A tall man stood there with dark red hair and navy blue eyes.

"Is… is this me?" Gohan had to ask as Baba entered the bathroom.

She didn't answer. She didn't seem to need to answer either. It was pretty obvious at this point; it was just difficult for the half-Saiyan to wrap this fact around his head.

Gohan ran his fingers through the foreign red color in his hair. A few bangs dangled in front of his forehead, where the rest of his short hair spiked upwards. He swung his torso around side to side to get a glimpse of his new physique. He certainly looked like an adult now: tall – maybe six-foot – broad shoulders, thick jawline, and his overall musculature was far more built. He must have looked at least 18-years old, he assessed to himself.

"Wow," was all he could muster up to say. Even his voice sounded different. It was deep, and no longer contained the pubescent voice cracks he was too embarrassed to even think about, "Thanks, Baba! This is great. No one's going to know this is me, now!"

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan flew north after his visit with Baba. He wanted to test this disguise out, and decided what better way was there to do that than to leisurely walk around the city? However, he first needed to change his clothes. His white Mandarin style shirt and black pants were much too small for his new body.

Stopping by at home, Gohan walked through the front door.

"Gohan, is that you?" ChiChi called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mom, it's me," he nonchalantly replied.

ChiChi's ears perked up at the unrecognizable voice. Tensing up, she crept over to the doorway and cautiously popped her head out to see who it was.

"W-wh-who are you? Get out!" she shrieked as she leaped out from the doorway, shooting her arm out at him.

Startled, Gohan jumped backwards as he caught eye of the sharp kitchen knife his mother held in her hand. "M-Mom! It's me! Gohan!"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not stupid! Get out before I do something you'll regret!"

"B-but, it really is me!" he frantically waved his hands in front of him, "Mom, you have to believe me! I went to see Baba; remember what I told you this morning?"

Taking a moment to analyze the situation, ChiChi stared intently at the red-haired stranger. It was true that her son informed her about his plan to visit Baba for a disguise. But looking at the supposed disguise in front of her… was all too real to even assume it was a masquerade.

"G-Gohan… is that really you…?"

The half-Saiyan exhaled in relief seeing his mother relax the hand that wielded the knife down by her side.

Walking up to him, ChiChi studied his temporary body from head to toe. Gohan's eyebrow cocked as he watched her face suddenly turn into a scowl, then into a pouting frown, all before tears began to surface.

"M-my… my little baby!" she wailed, "Your hair! Your eyes! Wahhhh…!"

"M-Mom! Don't worry," he desperately tried to comfort her, "it's just temporary! Honest!"

However his words didn't seem to reach her. She was too busy crying and wailing about how her son had become a delinquent, and how she wanted her baby back.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan couldn't help but feel tense after his encounter with his mother. He knew she would be alright in the end; it was merely a shock to see him in such an alien state. His mother's reaction certainly validated how well his disguise concealed him, but nevertheless, Gohan headed over to Satan City like he had originally intended to really put it to the test.

Indeed, the half-Saiyan managed to find fitting clothes for his new body back at home. He had rummaged through his mother's closet and found some old clothes his father once wore: dull-green slacks, a white tank top and an orange/black windbreaker – clothes that reminded him of the brief and leisurely time he had with Goku before the Cell Games.

Landing in Satan City, the adult-turned boy walked into the city's park. It didn't take long for him to notice the immense amount of stares directed at him. Gohan felt droplets of sweat forming along his forehead as his heartbeat quickened.

Gulping, he thought to himself, _'Why is everyone staring at me like that? Er, this feels really uncomfortable…'_

Little did the boy realize that the stares were all coming from nearby women. His Saiyan ears managed to pick up a few whispered conversations nearby:

"Mm, look at that hunk!" one sighed.

"Dare me to go up to him and talk to him?" another giggled.

"Oh my. If only I didn't tie the knot last month…" another one pouted.

Blushing furiously, Gohan quickened his pace and slouched in an attempt to hide his face. However his attempts were futile, as he quickly noticed the women treading behind in a lustful manner. The boy couldn't help but sigh. He had asked for an adult disguise, not a lady-magnet!

Gohan's troubled thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he spotted a young attractive brunette bashfully twiddling her fingers as she looked at the ground.

Quizzically and nervously, he turned around and asked, "Yes?"

Her cheeks flurried into a crimson red, "Um… are… are you new around here?"

Hearing her nervous voice only made him feel more nervous, "N-not particularly, I guess…"

"I… I've never seen you around here before," she quietly mentioned with her cheeks burning, "What's your name?"

"M-my name?" Gohan paused for a second, "Um… it's… uh…"

'_Crap. What __**is**__ my name?'_ it hadn't occurred to him that he didn't think of this predicament.

Taking note of his hesitancy, the girl retracted her curiosity. Her face beat red in embarrassment, she blurted out, "I'm sorry to bother you!" and ran off.

Gohan didn't even notice her disappearance. He was still looking up towards the sky in deep thought, completely oblivious to the numerous lustful stares surrounding him.

He needed a name.

"Maybe if I spelled my name backwards – 'Nahog'? Er, that doesn't sound right. Hmm," he continued to ponder, "…'Nos'," he then said to himself, "Yeah, that's it, Nos!"

The lustful stares quickly transformed into befuddled ones, unsure as to why the attractive red-haired man was suddenly talking to himself.

However, that was the last thing on his mind. With a proper disguise along with an alias, Gohan knew he was ready for the tournament. He planned to spend the next three days in intensive training.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Three days passed quickly, and the Tenkaichi Budukai Tournament had finally arrived. Gohan could barely contain his excitement. Not only was he going to be able to fight and win some prize money, he was also going to see Videl again. However, he still wasn't sure how he was going to go about competing in the junior division. Should he lose on purpose? Or should he win for the sake of the prize money? It was quite the dilemma for the half-Saiyan. Despite it all, he figured that would be a decision he would make at the spur of the moment.

Gohan boarded the Capsule Corp. aircraft along with his mother and his baby brother, Bulma and baby Trunks, and lastly, Vegeta. He wanted to invite the other Z fighters along to cheer him and Vegeta on at the tournament, but unfortunately the rest were unable to make it.

Bulma was piloting the aircraft, which inevitably ended with Vegeta holding his infant son for the duration of the ride – something Gohan never thought he would see. It was amusing to say the least, what with Vegeta's all too familiar scowl while a carefree Trunks was cradled within his arms. The half-Saiyan knew not to say anything about it though, or else he might feel the repercussions of the prince wrath during their match.

"So, Gohan, you have your disguise ready?" Bulma inquired.

He nodded in reply, "Yup! It's all set and ready to go. Baba gave me enough of that potion to transform myself for the whole adult division."

"Good," Vegeta haughtily chimed in, "Your short limbs won't deter you from a fair match with me then."

Gohan huffed and thought to himself, _'You're pretty short yourself, Vegeta.'_

The crew landed in front of the tournament entrance and Bulma popped the jet back into its Capsule once everyone disembarked off the aircraft. Walking alongside with everyone else, Gohan looked left and right in search for Videl. It was extremely crowded. There were families sightseeing, fangirls crowding around attractive martial artists, and a mix of everyone in between walking around, talking amongst each other or eating. The half-Saiyan decided it would be too difficult to spot the pigtailed girl in this chaos, and would wait until everyone gathered for the junior division.

Spotting the line to register for the tournament, Gohan pointed towards the booth, "Look, that's where we sign up. Let's go!"

"OK, kiddo. This is where we part," ChiChi said as she continued to cradle Goten, "We'll be rooting for you, Gohan!"

"Do your best, Vegeta!" Bulma happily chimed in as she mimicked a wave with Trunks's little hand.

At that, Vegeta and Gohan parted ways from the women and their kids and lined up behind the other fighters. The prince's turn finally approached, and he stepped up to the booth. Without a word, he merely signed his name under the column titled, 'Adult Division' and walked off to the waiting area. Gohan stepped up afterwards, and signed his name under 'Junior Division'. He then shifted over to write down his alias under 'Adult Division', until the man at the booth stopped him.

"Whoa – you can't sign other people up, kid," he shoved the boy's hand away from the sign-up sheet.

"B-but, he's a friend of mine. He's just, um, running late," Gohan tried to reason.

"No can do, kid. Sorry. Your friend's gotta be here to sign up for the tournament. No if's, and's or but's."

'_Crud… what am I supposed to do? I guess I have no choice,'_ Gohan sighed in his head. He then hopped out of line and headed to a nearby bathroom.

Stepping into one of the stalls, he locked it before he pulled out a flask of Baba's potion. Studying it, he assessed to himself, "OK. I just need to transform to sign up for the adult division. So I should only drink a tiny drop."

Gohan quickly changed out of his clothes into a navy blue gi with a red sash and wristbands, specifically tailored by Bulma for his adult body. He then dabbed a few droplets of the potion onto his tongue and waited a few seconds before a puff of smoke enveloped his eyesight, all before he completed his adult transformation. Stepping out of the bathroom stall, he headed towards one of the mirrors and glanced at his adult physique. Content with his appearance, he headed back out to the sign-up booth.

Gohan finally managed to sign himself up for the adult division as 'Nos'. The man at the booth directed him to wait with the other adult fighters, however he knew he would have to compete in the junior division first. Therefore, he headed to the junior division waiting area.

Stares emitted from every corner in the junior's waiting room. Kids questioned him with quizzical eyes, wondering why this adult was waiting with the junior division contestants.

Before Gohan could head to a bathroom to wait for his transformation to expire and change out of his adult clothes, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Turning around, he met a familiar face.

"You're in the wrong division, you know."

"V-Videl!" he piped up, happy to see her.

Cocking an eyebrow, the pigtailed girl asked hesitantly, "Do I know you?"

Forgetting for that moment he was Nos, Gohan quickly retracted his elated voice, "Er, n-no! I just… I'm a big fan of your father," he managed to sputter out.

Unsure of his suspicious mannerism, Videl studied the blue-eyed man's uneasy composure, "This might sound a little strange, but you remind me of someone."

"O-oh, is that so?" he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "I wonder who that is! Heh, heh…"

Taking a moment before replying, she muttered, "Yeah, I wonder too…"

"W-well, I should get going. Uh, to the adult division, that is," he then turned and took a step towards the waiting room's exit.

"Hold on."

Feeling even more anxious than before, Gohan rigidly turned his head back to the young girl.

"…What's your name?"

"N-Nos," he tentatively replied.

The half-Saiyan suddenly felt baffled as he watched Videl's cheeks flush to a light pink. Not sure of what else to say, Gohan quickly turned around and left the area.

'_Ho, boy. That was close…'_

Videl couldn't help but ponder who that strange man was hanging around in the junior division. The thought of the red-haired man lingered in her mind as she waited for the tournament to start.

Not long after, she spotted a familiar boy walking through the doorway to where she and the rest of the young contestants waited.

Happily running up to him, she called out, "Gohan!"

"H-hi, Videl," the boy nervously smiled back at her, his mind still in the mode of his alias.

"Glad you made it. I was starting to think you were gonna bail!"

He shook his head in reply, "Well, I'm here, and ready!"

The two waited together for the tournament to begin. Gohan couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy having to have to adorn two personas in front of the blue-eyed girl standing next to him. Nonetheless, he knew he had to trudge through and make it to the end of the day unveiled.

o (o) (O) (o) o

The time finally came to round up all the junior division contestants to pair up fights. Each kid was told to pick a numbered ball out of a large box, which ultimately placed them on a slot to compete against another fighter. Names were called, and one by one, kids and young teens alike drew numbers.

"Satan Videl," the man called out her name.

The pigtailed girl walked up to the box and rummaged through blindly with her hand. She then pulled a ball out and revealed the number 6.

"Son Gohan," he then called out.

Gulping, Gohan shifted over to the box and plunged his hand in to pick out a number.

"Number 3," the man noted.

The half-Saiyan studied the board which indicated who would be matched up with whom. _'Looks like nobody's picked 4 yet.'_

The rest of the kids picked their numbers, and the number 4 slot was finally filled. Gohan peered over at the boy who filled the slot next to his name, and assessed that he was just a normal kid. It wouldn't take more than a light shove to get a ring-out. The boy sighed, realizing the junior division was going to be somewhat boring. As long as he could win some prize money, he would be content with that.

It would only be a matter of time until he and Vegeta would be able to face off against each other in the adult division.

* * *

><p>End, chapter 5.<p>

A/N: Sorry for the wait, I've had a very hectic weekend and overall have been fairly busy for the past two weeks.

To help you visualize Gohan's alias, Nos, think of Mirai Gohan in Super Saiyan form with dark red hair and navy blue eyes (nix the scar). ;)

Here is the link to a sketch of Nos: http:/ / ijustwokeup(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Nos-291478954

Hope you enjoyed this chapter; please let me know with any comments, criticisms, or suggestions! I appreciate all your reviews – they have been a great help to me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 6**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

* * *

><p>"…A-and he's down and out!" the announcer cried out as the audience roared, "Wow, folks, there you have it! An incredible one-hit K.O.!"<p>

Gohan let out a sheepish smile as he humbly waved to the cheering crowd. He didn't mean to knock the kid out, he was hoping the boy would have pushed back from impact and fallen out of the ring. Alas, he had to make do with his victory. It was all that mattered in the end, after all.

As he walked off the ring back to the waiting area, Videl hurried over to him, "Wow, Gohan, that was amazing!" she beamed.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he chuckled, "Naw, it was nothin'…"

"No, seriously," she continued, walking along side of him, "You make it look so easy. You know that kid is one of the top junior students for the dojo that rival's my dad's? You're incredibly strong, Gohan, if you haven't already noticed."

Still flustered, the boy kept his eyes on the floor and meekly chuckled, unsure of how to respond. How was he to know that his first match was against a highly noted martial arts student? If only he had tried to make a show out of it so onlookers didn't think he was some super freak.

Videl broke his thoughts as she pounded her fist into her palm. She gazed at the empty ring with fire in her eyes. Grinning, she pounded her fist in once more, "Looks like I'm up, now."

Wondering who her opponent was the half-Saiyan scanned the area. He spotted a heavy-set boy who stood up to stretch before he began walking towards the ring.

Pointing at him, Gohan asked, "Are you fighting against him?"

Videl nodded in reply and began to walk towards the ring until a hand halted her from doing so. She looked behind her at Gohan, wondering why he stopped her.

With stern eyes, the half-Saiyan let go of her arm and spoke softly, "He's left-handed. And he's got a weak right foot. But he's fast, so be careful, OK?"

Videl took a moment to register what the boy meant. She then furrowed her brow and yanked her arm away from his grip, scowling, "Who asked for your help? I can win against this guy on my own!" she stomped away, leaving Gohan with her lingering words.

'_Man, I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have said anything. Videl's capable of a good fight, and I should've just believed in her,'_ frustrated with himself, he tussled his own hair, looking off to the side.

Gohan knew immediately when Videl walked out to the ring from the overwhelming amount of cries and cheers. She was the daughter of the World Champion, after all, and it was expected that she would make it far in this competition. As the crowd grew louder, the half-Saiyan crept over to the archway where Videl and her competitor entered the ring from. He looked up at the stadium and studied the girl's composure. She seemed cool and confident as far as he could tell, but it worried him that her Ki was actually weaker than the boy she was up against.

'_Stupid Gohan. I'll show him; I don't have to listen to him to win!'_ Videl clenched her fists into balls as she positioned herself in her fighting stance.

She studied the boy in front of her for an opening, and didn't let a second pass after the match started to make the first move. Lunging forward, Videl shot two consecutive punches aimed at the boy's gut, and then quickly sidestepped forwards to attempt to connect an elbow to his sternum. However her attempts were futile, and her competitor managed to step backwards during each attack, dodging her strikes. A little surprised that she was unable to hit him, Videl took a few steps backwards to elongate the distance between her and the boy, so that she could recompose herself.

Videl's eyes widened as she watched the boy take a step back, positioning himself with his left foot forward to attack.

'_So he is left-handed… how did Gohan figure that out so quickly?'_

Narrowing her eyes, the pigtailed girl focused on her opponent's movements. She watched him jog in place, steadying his fists in front of his torso. Her eyes wandered from his fists to his meaty legs, her attention on the boy's right ankle.

She shook her head, _'No. I can beat this guy without Gohan's help!'_

At that, her opponent began to walk along the edge of the ring, his eyes glued to Videl. A cheeky smirk formed on his face before he lunged towards her. Preparing herself, Videl stood her ground, her knuckles turning white in anticipation. She was suddenly caught off guard when the large boy sidestepped away from her and swooped down with a calf kick, tripping her. Landing on her right forearm, Videl quickly rebounded and sprung forward with her left foot forward, leg extended. She could see it in slow motion – how easily the boy maneuvered and craned his neck back to avoid her launching attack. She could only frown in dismay as the conceited smirk on his face grew to a full-blown grin.

'_Geez! This guy's fast for someone his size!'_ from a distance, she eyed her heavy-set opponent once more.

It was then, it hit her. She studied him pace around on the ring, sidestepping and jogging in place occasionally. He was lighter on his left foot than on his right. Was his right foot truly a handicap? It was very possible that her opponent was not as swift as he was with his left side than on his right. He was left-handed, after all.

With that brief assessment, Videl decided to go for it. Closing the gap between the two, she faked a left and crouched down, imitating the boy's previous calf kick. Landing her attack, she watched the boy's arms flail as his left foot teetered in imbalance. Videl immediately followed her low attack with an elbow jab to his larded gut, winding him and further disabling him to find his ground. Not another moment passed when she landed her final blow – a palm-faced uppercut to his double-chin.

The pigtailed girl could practically hear her opponent's teeth crack as he fell backwards, flat on the ground. Attempting to catch her breath, Videl took a few steps back and eyed the boy for any movements.

Nothing.

"W-wow! As expected from the daughter of the World Champion!" the announcer stammered in delight as he hurried over to check on her opponent's status, "Looks like he's out cold, folks! Satan Videl advances!"

The crowd roared in approval, waving banners and flags that read 'Go, Satan!' and of the like. Seeing Videl's opponent out cold on the ground and the audience all riled up, Gohan let out a sigh of relief. It was over quicker than he had anticipated. The girl certainly surprised him, without a doubt. Who knew she harbored that much skill with the amount of Ki she possessed?

Gohan watched Videl walk back into the waiting room with a grin on his face. Throwing her a thumbs-up, he praised her, "Nice one, Videl!"

However he was greeted with a quick harrumph as she averted her cerulean eyes from him with her chin held high. The half-Saiyan watched Videl walk passed him without a single word or glance towards his presence.

Scratching his head, he wondered to himself, _'Uh-oh, I think I messed up.'_

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan breezed through the competition and it wasn't long until he was placed as a finalist. Of course, who would be surprised if it was said that Videl was also a finalist? Although the half-Saiyan had predicted this outcome well before the day of the tournament, he was still nervous about the fight. God forbid he hurt her during their match – it was bad enough flinging her across the park that day they decided to spar. Or what if he were to win by a ring-out? He would be known as the boy who defeated the World Champion's daughter – a title Gohan was not looking forward to be recognized as.

Not only that…

It seemed Videl was upset at him. How was he to know that she wasn't going to take what he said as friendly advice, and instead as a low-blow to her ego? He just hoped that she would forgive him sooner than later.

'_Maybe I should throw the match on purpose so that Videl won't be mad at me anymore. Not that I want that kind of fame on me anyway…'_

Gohan stood there on one end of the ring, watching the pigtailed girl step up and walk to her respective side. He waited for her cerulean orbs to glance at him and quickly regretted it once he saw the fire and frustration in her frowning eyes.

Gulping, he then turned his attention to the announcer, who began to speak, "Alright, ladies and gentlemen! The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived! Videl, the reigning champion of the junior division against newcomer, Son Gohan! Who will be the victor? Who will claim the title of the junior division champion of the Tenkaichi Budokai Tournament? And who will go home empty-handed? Don't forget folks, the winner of this match will then go head-to-head with the almighty martial artist, Mr. Satan!"

Onlookers roared, waving their banners and signs in anticipation of the start of the match. Tuning out the rowdy cheers and taunts, Videl glued her eyes to her opponent. She knew if she didn't want what happened during their spar to happen here at the tournament, she had to direct all her focus and attention on Gohan's movements.

Noticing her stern and cold expression as she positioned herself with minimal openings in her stance, the half-Saiyan decided to give her the respect of equal ferocity in his own fighting stance, unlike the nonchalant lazy-boy posture he had adorned during his previous matches. Videl's eyes widened as she watched him. She wasn't sure what exactly it was about him, but something changed. It wasn't his stoic look, or his perfected stance – it was something else. Something inside of him changed, and she was pretty sure it was going to be anything but beneficial towards her.

Gohan was indeed in a deep focus. His eyelids sheathed his onyx irises as he meditated, channeling his Ki. However, the shift in his mannerism was far from what Videl was suspecting. Rather than focusing to bring out his inner strength, Gohan was suppressing as much strength and Ki as possible.

"Begin!" the announcer shot his arm out in between the two before he backed up off the ring.

At that moment, Gohan froze up. His mind jogged back and forth within milliseconds contemplating if he had just made a terrible mistake fighting against Satan Videl in front of such a large audience. Lost in thought, he was caught off guard by a swift kick to his left arm, causing him to fall on his side. He quickly recovered and jumped back up on his feet, but was immediately bombarded with various punches and jabs. Blocking them with his hands and dodging his head side to side, Gohan studied Videl's face. She didn't look too happy with him, and he could tell she meant business.

Continuing to dodge and block her attacks, the half-Saiyan tried to speak up, "V-Videl," he ducked under a right hook, "are you mad?"

Unwilling to let her focus waver, the girl ignored him, her brow furrowing deeper than before.

Gohan tried again, "I'm really sorry if I upset you earlier," with his hand, he then caught what was meant to be a jab to his face. Not letting go, he firmly gripped Videl's fist and lowered it.

Surprised and a little off guard from his change of pace, the girl sneered as she ripped her fist away from his hold. She then slapped her hands on his shoulders and hoisted her body weight up, swinging one leg forward and kneeing Gohan's stomach with full force. The half-Saiyan had meant to suppress much of his strength and Ki for the duration of this fight, but he did not expect to lose so much concentration at the same time. How was he unable to block that attack? He couldn't help but wonder as he staggered a few steps backwards, cradling his gut.

Videl stood her ground in front of him, "How dare you," she muttered before she raised her voice, "How dare you mock me! Apologizing during our fight? You've got to be kidding me! You're '**sorry**'? I'll make sure you'll feel sorry after I beat you!"

Seemingly better, Gohan let go of his stomach and looked at her with a quizzical expression, "B-but –"

Before he could say any more, Videl lunged herself towards him and swooped down with a sliding low-kick. Tripping him, she planted her hands on the ground and demonstrated a mule-kick off the ground, causing Gohan to skid across the ring.

With a loud thump as his rear hit a firm surface, the half-Saiyan opened his eyes. Videl stood tall in front him – literally. He took note of the high platform she grounded herself on top of and looked around him, noticing the grass he sat on, the blades of green poking the palm of his hands.

"T-there you have it! Incredible! Son Gohan lost with a Ring-Out!" the announcer cried out as he walked up next to Videl, "Looks like we have a winner, folks! Satan Videl has defeated her opponent and is keeping the junior division championship title for another year!"

Amongst the cheers and howls for the victor, a loud imposing voice screeched from the bleachers, "WH-WHAT? My Gohan **lost**? No! This has to be some kind of mistake! What happened, Gohan! You were supposed to win and bring home the prize money!" ChiChi angrily burst out, causing nearby onlookers to slowly retract away from her presence.

"There, there, ChiChi. Maybe Gohan got all flustered fighting against a pretty girl," Bulma tried to comfort her. She then quickly averted her gaze with a smug look on her face, "Either way, you still have the adult division to look forward to watching him lose again – to Vegeta that is."

Violently swinging her head towards her late husband's friend, the former martial artist snarled with a retort, "Like hell he will!" she then turned her attention back to the stadium ring, ignoring Bulma's tongue sticking out, "C'mon, Gohan! Win for me, baby!"

o (o) (O) (o) o

A brief intermission commenced after the junior division finally came to its conclusion. Videl ended up fighting against her father and won – a performance only an idiot would think was an actual fight. Although Gohan knew he had to hurry to get his alias ready and mingle with the other adult division fighters as they waited for the preliminaries to start, he wanted to find Videl and apologize once and for all.

However, she was nowhere in sight.

'_Maybe she went inside the VIP area with her father,'_ Gohan wondered.

Time was running out, and his growling stomach was begging him to eat before he had to meet up with Vegeta and the other competitors. So he ran into the nearest bathroom and changed his clothes, slipping the blue gi on before he downed the whole bottle of Baba's potion. With a puff of smoke, Gohan's body transformed into his alter ego, Nos.

He walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the small plaza of restaurants. After being seated and having his order taken and served, Gohan gorged himself with as much food as possible – shoving every morsel in his mouth until his plates were licked clean.

"Seconds, please!" he patted his unsatisfied stomach as he waved down his waiter.

A few tables behind him, a set of ears perked up to his voice.

"What's the matter, Pumpkin?"

"N-nothing, Papa," Videl turned her attention back to her father and her food.

'_It's him... Nos, was it?'_ she thought to herself, _'What could possibly possess him to eat that much before the tournament?'_

Mr. Satan looked at a nearby clock, "Uh-oh. It's almost time to start the adult division. I gotta head back and prepare for my grand entrance! So, sweetie, what do you think, should your papa swoop in with a couple backflips? Maybe I'll try my 'cool-guy' act and casually walk through the archway? Or should I have something witty to say once I step up onto the ring?"

"I dunno, Papa," Videl rolled her eyes, "maybe you should practice in front of a mirror like you always do to see which one you like best."

"D'aw, my little pumpkin knows me so well! Alright, I'm going to head back to my room. You come straight over when you're done eating, OK?"

With an obedient nod, Videl watched her father leave the restaurant. Once out of sight, she directed her attention to the red-haired man filling himself up with a second serving of food. Putting her fork down, she hopped off the chair and walked up behind the man.

Hands on her hips, she interrupted his meal, "Don't you know it's a bad idea to eat before you fight?"

Practically choking on the piece of meat he lodged into his throat, Gohan pumped his fist against his chest to ease the pain. Turning around, still with a cheek full of food, his eyebrows perked. However, he was cautious enough not to make the same mistake twice by acting like he knew her, "O-oh, it's you!"

"Hasn't your mother taught you not to talk with your mouth full?" she cocked an eyebrow at him.

The half-Saiyan quickly swallowed the rest of his food and sheepishly grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. With a light sigh, Videl plopped herself in the seat next to him.

Unsure of her intentions, Gohan looked up and off to the side as he asked her, "S-so, what brings you here?"

"I was eating with my papa. But he had to leave to get ready for the tournament. Shouldn't you be too? The preliminaries will be starting soon," she eyed the stacks of empty plates on his table as she rested her cheek against her palm.

"Y-yeah, well, I was really hungry, heh, so I just couldn't resist!"

"I can tell," she scoffed light-heartedly.

Videl wasn't sure why she approached Nos. She didn't have anything in particular to say aside from what she already said to him. Noticing the awkward silence, she decided it would be best to leave the man alone.

Just before she was about to get up out of the seat, Nos congratulated her, "You won the junior division, right? You put out a good fight, I gotta say. I was impressed."

Suddenly feeling her cheeks flush, she coyly looked down at her lap, "Y-you watched me fight?"

Looking up at the ceiling, concealing the fact he participated in that fight, he replied, "More or less," looking back down at her, he noticed her rosy cheeks, and tentatively asked, "Are you happy that I saw you fight?"

Eyes widening at his question, Videl felt shyer as each second passed. Who would've thought this young man would make her feel so flustered by a simple question? She couldn't even manage to find her vocal chords to answer him – she simply kept looking down at her lap, blushing.

Gohan couldn't help but smile at the sight. Shyness was certainly something he had never seen before in the young girl sitting next to him. He placed his hand on top of her head, giving her reason to look back up at him. She watched his smile turn into a grin as she felt his gentle yet large hand patting her head.

"I hope you'll watch me fight," Nos grinned. At that, he stood up from his seat. Releasing his hand from her head, he gave Videl a thumbs-up. He was about to turn around and leave, until something struck him to mention to her, "Oh… by the way. That kid, Gohan you fought against?" curious, Videl looked up at him, listening intently, "he, uh, he seemed real sorry about something. M-maybe you should forgive him?" he quickly rubbed the back of his neck with shifty eyes.

Furrowing her brow in much valid confusion, she craned her neck up to gaze straight into his blue irises, "N-Nos, do you know him? Gohan?"

Waving his hands in front of him, he began to panic, "N-not particularly! W-well, kind of, I suppose – er, we… we're friends, I guess you could say!" he couldn't help the nervous laughter escape his lips.

Videl took a moment to study him before she responded, her eyes screaming 'revelation', "O-oh! I thought you seemed familiar for some reason! So you're Gohan's friend. You remind me a lot of him – I just couldn't put my finger on it until now."

"Heh, issat so?" his anxiety seemed to dissipate slowly in relief, "A-anyway, he told me he's really sorry about something he said to you earlier today. Gohan's, um, really down in the dumps about it."

Videl's expression turned cold. She looked down at the floor, pouting at the mention of the boy's name. Clearly she was still a bit upset that he underestimated her. She then peered up at Nos, ignorant of his nervous and shifty-eyed composition. A light blush flashed across her cheeks and her lips curled into a coy smile. "If it's you saying I should forgive him, then I guess I have no choice."

"Eh?" baffled, Gohan could only sputter out, his cheeks inevitably flushing pink.

Without another word, Videl continued to smile innocently and turned around. After taking a few steps towards the door, she halted herself and turned her head to look up at the red-haired man, "Good luck during the tournament!" grinning, she flashed a peace sign – identical to her father's victory trademark.

Gohan watched the little girl walk out of the restaurant as he scratched his head. Mentioning his wish to apoligize went… easier than he expected… but, he wasn't so sure of what to think of his interaction with Videl as a whole.

Why she was blushing so much in Nos's presence was a mystery to the half-Saiyan.

* * *

><p>End, Chapter 6.<p>

A/N: Man, I don't know why I decided to write about a tournament – I'm no good at fight scenes! Ah well, practice, practice, practice. :)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter – Gohan and Videl's interactions in particular. Stories are no fun without a bit of conflict, right?

I appreciate all your comments and reviews; I hope to hear more from you all! Also, please don't hesitate to criticize or suggest anything. I will try my best to update quicker for the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 7**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: Thank you **Let's Random** for betareading this chapter!

* * *

><p>It was finally time for the preliminaries to begin. Fighters of different disciplines mingled with each other within the compounds of the adult division waiting area. As Nos, Gohan found his way over from the restaurant and looked left and right for Vegeta. He spotted the spiky-haired man standing off to the side, isolated from the crowds of fighters. Happy to locate him, Gohan walked up and stood beside the Saiyan.<p>

Peering through the corner of his eye, the prince watched the red-haired man walk up and stand next to him with a frown on his face. Who the hell was he?

He scowled, furrowing his brow and digging his fingers into the flesh of his crossed arms, "What do you want?"

"Geez, Vegeta, you don't have to be so harsh towards me all the time," the disguised boy replied.

He turned his body to face the man and cocked an eyebrow, "What is this, some joke? I demand to know who you are."

"O-oh! Sorry, Vegeta, I forgot you haven't seen me like this yet," Gohan then hushed to a low whisper, "It's me, Gohan. You're looking at my disguise right now."

Looking him once over, the prince said no more. He assessed that he would be fighting against this faux body of Gohan's. The boy's disguise made him seven inches taller than himself – something he knew could be detrimental to his chances of winning. Vegeta was no fool. He knew since that day of the Cell Games just how capable Gohan was when it came to sheer strength. He had spent the majority of his time training within the gravity room during the past month in anticipation for today's match, knowing just that. He wanted to beat him. He had to beat him.

Tournament employees entered the area wheeling in large machines. Gohan and Vegeta turned their attention towards the employees and watched them set up each machine in their respective areas.

Once everything seemed ready to go, one of the employees cleared his throat and announced aloud, "Alright, folks, we will be starting the preliminary round now! Please all gather around to the nearest punching machine and I will explain to you all how this will be done."

"…Punching… machine?" Gohan asked aloud to himself.

As everyone huddled around each machine, the employee continued, "This machine here numerically rates the strength of an attack. All of you will take turns displaying the hardest punch you can muster. The top sixteen contestants with the highest rated punches will advance to the tournament, no exceptions. World Champion Mr. Satan will automatically be passing the preliminary round since he won last year's tournament. For the lucky one to pass the semi-finals, you will be facing off against him to compete for this year's title! So with that said, please all line up to take turns displaying your true strength!"

Vegeta scoffed, "Pft. True strength? They're all weaklings. Nobody here is worth my time."

"Not worth yer time, huh?" a deep voice chimed in. Vegeta looked to his right and spotted a large and bulky bald man walk up to him, "I wouldn't be so sure 'bout that. Don't go underestimatin' yer opponents, now," he smirked.

The Saiyan turned his head back to face forward.

The man raised an eyebrow, "Hey. I'm talkin' to you," he took a few steps forward, leaning his bald head in front of Vegeta so that he could see it shining in plain view. The man attempted to grab his attention once more, "Hey! Are you deaf? Don't get on my bad side, now!" he then stepped directly in front of the prince.

Scowling, Vegeta directed his narrowing eyes at the buffoon with his arms crossed. The man immediately took a few steps back, his eyes bugging out as he felt more unsettling each second. He may not have realized it, but the Saiyan's Ki felt so menacing that even those oblivious to it could feel its presence – and this experience was overwhelming the bald man.

Still, he attempted to cover up his uneasiness and guffawed, "Well, screw you! Can't wait to beat yer ass down later – that is, if you can even make it past the preliminaries, Shorty! Haw!"

Gohan knew this wasn't good. No, not at all. The moment that baldy spewed out his last word, the half-Saiyan knew he would be done for. The Prince of Saiyans would never take that kind of insult lightly.

Despite the odds, Vegeta remained silent. He didn't even acknowledge the man's presence with a glance towards his direction.

One by one, contestants stepped up to the punching machines and demonstrated their fiercest punch. Most averaged around 75 to 100 points; however there were a handful of exceptional fighters who managed to punch at around 120.

It was finally Vegeta's turn. He stepped up to the machine, ignoring the smug look on the bald man's face as he walked passed him. Just as the prince raised his fist to gently tap the machine, the bulky man snickered, "Good luck, Shorty!"

At that moment, Vegeta's face scrunched up as he swung his arm at full force. The machine crumpled like an accordion before it flew backwards straight into the wall, smashing into pieces as smoke spewed from every direction.

Speechless, contestants froze in place with their mouths completely agape, their eyes the size of dinner plates. The bald man adorned an identical expression and backed up away from Vegeta without hesitation as he walked past him.

Glaring at him through the corner of his eye, the prince smirked, "I **was** going to give you the benefit of the doubt and hold back, but I figured you needed to learn your lesson. So who's going to beat whose ass, now?" he crossed his arms with a cocky grin plastered across his face.

Stammering, he sputtered out gibberish as the man frantically waved his hands in front of him as if they acted as a barrier between him and Vegeta. He backed up a few steps before he quickly twirled around and bolted for the exit, screeching, "I ain't dyin' today! I'm outta here!"

Cradling his forehead between his fingers, Gohan shook his head as he sighed, "Darn it, Vegeta, let's try and suppress **some** strength, huh?"

"U-uh, um… s-so, i-it, uh, it seems we have a b-bit of a delay here while we get a new punching machine out… I-in the meantime, those who were lined up here, please line up in front of another machine," an employee finally managed to find his voice after the shock wore off.

Gohan and the others complied and shifted over to the next machine and waited in line. Time passed and it was finally his turn to display his strength.

He stepped up to the machine and carefully eyed the padded area where he was supposed to land his fist. He brought his left fist forward, knowing it was somewhat weaker than his right. He didn't want to pull what Vegeta did, so he was intent on demonstrating the weakest punch he got. With a flick of the wrist, Gohan tapped the machine with the joint of his index finger and watched the numbers fly.

"O-o-one hundred n-ninety s-s-s-six!" the tournament employee screeched in utter shock.

Gasps emitted from every corner. The highest rating they've seen so far was a mere 124. How was this man capable of punching at 196? Not to mention, he hardly looked like he was giving it his all. With this abnormally strong newcomer and the man who completely shattered one of the machines, everyone knew this was going to be one heck of a tournament. Some fighters even backed out of the preliminary round once they saw the two Saiyans display their potential, knowing all too well they stood no chance.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Once the preliminary round finished up, the staff members determined the top sixteen competitors. There was no question or doubt that Gohan and Vegeta made it through, so the two headed towards the building where they would wait before their match.

As the two walked down the path, Gohan stopped in his tracks after spotting a pigtailed blur run past the archway they were heading for. Noticing his presence, the small figure suddenly halted herself and glanced at him.

"Nos!" she ran up to him.

"Hi, Videl. What are you doing here?" he smiled.

"My papa's dressing room is just down the hall. I was just leaving to go watch the adult division! It's about to start soon, right?" Videl asked, elated.

Nos nodded, "We just finished the preliminaries. I think they just need to match us up and we'll be set to fight!"

"So, you made it through! I knew you would," the girl grinned ear to ear.

Nos sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as a light blush formed across his cheeks. Vegeta caught eye of the half-Saiyan's composure and snorted, holding back his tongue.

"I'll be rooting for you, Nos!" Videl looked up at the tall red-haired man with her big cerulean eyes.

Nos grinned in reply and bent down to pat her on the head, "Thanks!"

At that, the girl waved as she ran off. The half-Saiyan watched her leave with a dorky smile on his face, still waving to her despite the fact she disappeared out of sight.

"You look like a pedophile," Vegeta scoffed, unable to hold in his tongue any longer.

"Wh-wh-what!" Gohan exclaimed, "N-no way! Videl and I are the same age!" he frantically waved his hands in front of him in a panic.

The prince shrugged off the boy's efforts to defend himself and continued walking towards their destination.

Other fighters who made it through the preliminaries joined the two Saiyans in the waiting room one by one. Scanning the small room, Gohan and Vegeta both concluded there was no one formidable enough to be a challenge. They knew it would be a head to head fight against each other in the semi-finals, no question about it.

It wasn't long until the tournament staff members wheeled in a large board onto the stadium ring. Drawn on it was a ladder-like diagram that displayed the route of which one would need to go in order to reach the semi-finals. The competitors were then directed to come up to the ring and stand in front of the board.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the sixteen fighters you see standing before you have passed the preliminary round! We are now going to match each fighter up with one another by picking a number out of this box here. The number each contestant draws will determine their placement within the tournament! The winner of the semi-finals will advance to the final match – a sure-to-be-memorable fight against Mr. Satan himself!" the audience roared at the mention of the World Champion's name, "Now, without further ado, let's have the first competitor come up and draw a number!"

One by one, contestants drew numbers and the staff wrote down their names in their respective spots on the diagram. Vegeta walked up once his name was called and drew the number 2. A few more fighters stepped up to draw their numbers, and then it was finally Gohan's turn.

He walked up to the box and blindly rummaged through the numbered balls and picked one out. He looked down at his hand at the green ball and turned it around to see which number he had chosen.

Number 1.

As his name was written down on the board, ChiChi stood up from her seat and leaned forward in shock, "N-no way! Gohan and Vegeta are fighting against each other in the first match?"

"W-wow, I can't believe it," Bulma chimed in, "right off the bat!"

Gohan swallowed hard as he read his alias's name next to Vegeta's. He knew he would be fighting against the prince sooner or later. But he was betting on later rather than sooner.

Vegeta shook him out of his thoughts with a boisterous laughter, "Ha ha ha! I'd say Kami is looking down at us both and telling us to get it done and over with! I'll have to thank him later for saving me from the wretched boredom I might have had to deal with while fighting these weaklings before our match," he pointed behind him at the other competitors with a cocky grin.

On the second floor of the tournament's waiting room, Videl was peering out the window from one of the VIP seats. She read Nos's name under the first slot and beamed to herself, "Nos gets to fight in the first match! This is gonna be great. Oh, but I think I saw that man he's gonna fight against walk alongside of him when they were heading over. I wonder if they're friends?"

All sixteen competitors were asked to step off the ring and wait within the building as the staff cleared the ring off. Moments passed, and the announcer for the tournament finally stepped up to the middle of the ring with a microphone in hand.

"Thank you for your patience, folks! Now for the moment you've all been waiting for – the first match of the adult division! Today we have two strong competitors. Both are newcomers; however they excelled far beyond the expected standards during the preliminary round! This match will sure to be interesting, folks!" at that, both Gohan and Vegeta walked out the building and towards the ring. They stood on opposite sides, leaving a decent distance between the two. The announcer continued, "Nos and Vegeta will be fighting head to head – who will be victorious? The only ways to win are by K.O., forfeit, or ring-out! Now, without further ado, begin!" the announcer then scurried off the ring.

Not another moment was lost before Vegeta hurled himself towards the disguised half-Saiyan. His very first punch clashed against Gohan's forearm. The prince attempted once more and felt his fist crash into the boy's block. The two pushed off each other and left a gaping space between them. A second later, they went at it again, lunging towards each other at full speed. Kicks were swung, punches were jabbed, yet neither of the two was able to land a hit. Gohan decided to go for a counter attack and waited for Vegeta to swing at him once more. The prince delivered a roundhouse kick which was blocked easily by a forearm. He was quickly caught off guard when the half-Saiyan decided to grab his ankle and twist his torso around to catapult the man across the ring. With lightning speed, Gohan caught up to Vegeta's airborne body and pounded his clasped fists in between his shoulder blades, slamming the prince deep into the ring, inevitably creating a small crater.

The crowd hushed in an eerie silence as smoke pocketed the crater. Onlookers craned their necks forward to watch for any sign for Vegeta's body – dead or alive. Videl stared down at the damaged ring in complete shock. Her mouth agape, her lower lip quivered in fear.

Loud gasps and shocked cries emitted from each and every corner as a figure suddenly popped out from the smoke-filled crater and lunged towards the red-haired man, connecting his knuckles to his left cheek.

Gohan flew backwards and skidded across the ring as Vegeta grounded himself. Pointing at him, the prince scoffed, "Don't think you can defeat me that easily," his frown grew into a cocky smirk.

Wiping some dirt off his chin, Gohan stood back up and snorted with a similar smirk, "Don't think that I expected to defeat you that easily."

Furrowing his brow, the disguised boy lunged forward simultaneously with Vegeta. The two clashed once more, bombarding each other with kicks and punches that were too fast for the naked eye. The two gradually began to levitate from the ground, slowly into the air, leaving the audience speechless. Vegeta decided to go for a low strike and calf-kicked the half-Saiyan, sliding his own body underneath the boy before latching his grip onto one of Gohan's ankles. With enough leverage, the prince then swung Gohan's body from over his shoulder down to the ground, smashing the boy straight into the ring, creating yet another crater.

"N-Nos!" Videl jumped from her seat and craned her neck out the window, her eyes widened in a panicked shock. There was no way anyone could survive that kind of attack. Fear was written all over her face as her pupils darted across the whites of her eyes, scanning the smoke-filled area for any sign of his body.

Vegeta landed on the stadium ring in front of the damage he created and sneered, "Get up."

Stammering, the announcer hesitantly chimed in, "W-Wait, h-hold on a second! Let's check if he's OK, first!"

Before he could do so, a hand popped up and gripped the ledge of the crater. Gohan nonchalantly pulled himself up and out of the rubble, standing up and brushing off the dirt on his gi. He then peered up at the Prince of Saiyans and let his lips curl into another smirk before he stepped back into a hardened stance.

The half-Saiyan ignored the announcer who meekly tried to ask him if he was OK to continue fighting, and instead trained his eyes on his opponent. The adrenaline inside of him was pumping at full force. He had been waiting for this day. He was finally going to have a good fight against a formidable opponent like Vegeta. All that training behind his mother's back was finally paying off.

Not once taking his eyes off of the prince, Gohan scolded the announcer, "Get off."

Eagerly complying in utter fear, the announcer leaped off the stadium ring, keeping a good distance from the two fighters.

Gohan and Vegeta took a moment to stare each other down, studying each other for an opening. The half-Saiyan's eyes widened when Vegeta suddenly dropped his heavily guarded stance and stood there, beckoning him with a wave of his finger. Brows furrowed, the boy complied and pushed off the ground at full force, heading straight at the man mocking him. He knew the prince was planning something, so Gohan took the precaution to fake a direct attack, only to appear behind the man, swinging his arm with his elbow forward, intent on making contact with the nape of the man's neck. However, Vegeta was not so easily deceived, and he quickly twisted around and blocked Gohan's attack by grabbing a hold of his elbow. With his other hand, he jabbed at the boy's gut, causing him to cough up a mix of spit and blood as his eyes bugged out. Luckily for Vegeta, that attack created an opening, and so he punched Gohan once more in the stomach before he slammed a kick against his kidney, causing the boy to skid across the ring.

'_Sh-shit… this body is making things worse…'_ Gohan thought as he slowly got up, _'I didn't think to train while in this transformation; what a bad idea. I'm not used to these new limbs of mine…'_

"N-Nos!" Videl shouted as she leaned through the window. Concern washed over her face as she watched the battered man slowly get up, "Don't! You're gonna get hurt! Please! Stay down!"

Gohan's ears perked, hearing Videl's tiny voice in between cheers and gasps emitted from the crowds. Straightening his back, he turned his head towards the direction of her voice and caught eyes with the pigtailed girl. Although he gave her a warm and comforting smile, the girl did not register it, blinded by her fear for his safety.

Hoping he would hear her better, she cried out as she leaned further out the window, "Please, Nos! Stop! You'll get killed –" a gasp interrupted her sentence as her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened as she watched her hand slip from under her in slow motion, her body tumbling out the window towards the stadium cement.

She screamed in terror, tightening her eyes shut in trembling fear as her arms flailed, her tiny body hurling towards the ground from the second floor.

Videl suddenly caught on that something wasn't right. She didn't feel any pain, nor did she feel like she was still falling.

She opened an eye and immediately opened her other, startled to see Nos's face hovering over her. She looked around and then down, and blushed after realizing his strong arms were cradling her.

"That was close. Are you OK?" he sighed in relief.

"Y-yeah…" she managed to find her quivering voice.

Smiling, Nos let her ground herself and released her from his arms. She stood and gazed up at him, staring into his blue eyes. Revelation struck, and she immediately took note of the fact they were both standing on firm ground.

"Nos!"

He cocked his head to the side, questioning her.

"Y-you're… you're out of the ring…"

Looking down at his feet, he tentatively replied, "O-oh… I guess I am…"

"A-ah, um," the announcer began to speak, "W-wow, OK, we've never had such an event like this happen before, l-let alone the fact the stadium ring has almost been completely destroyed… b-but, I have to make the call – I apologize, Nos, but this counts as a ring out. Vegeta advances!"

"Noooooooooo!" ChiChi cried from the stands, inevitably causing baby Goten to cry along with her.

"Tsch!" Vegeta huffed as he walked up to Gohan, "You've got to be kidding me! Running away from our match to save this brat? How dare you take our fight so lightly!" he then lowered his eyes, directing his scowling stare at the pigtailed girl. He harrumphed as he walked away, muttering under his breath, "Stupid pre-teens and their idiocy."

Scratching the back of his head, Nos sighed as he watched the prince stomp off, "Ah, man. He's mad now, no doubt about it," he then turned his attention back to Videl, "Are you gonna be OK? You didn't get hurt at all, did you?"

"N-no," she replied with averted eyes, her cheeks flushed, "T-thanks for saving me. I'm sorry you lost the match, though."

He replied with a warm smile, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure my mother will be upset, but I'm just glad you're not hurt."

Videl paused for a moment, deep in thought. She then looked back up at the red-haired man and furrowed her brow, questioning him with her cerulean eyes, "You were incredible during that match… how… how did you move so fast? It was inhuman!"

Nos was quick to stammer as he nervously shifted his body, "Eh, heh heh! Uh, well, it, uh, took a lot of practice… b-but, uh –"

She then pointed at the spikey-haired man he just fought against, who stood at a distance from the two, "And, you know him, right? I saw you walking with him before the tournament started. He's strong, like you, too!"

"Er, yes, we know each other. B-but, we're not –"

"PUMPKIN!" Mr. Satan burst through the archway and pushed Gohan out of the way. He planted his hands on Videl's shoulders as his eyes wandered head to toe making sure she was unharmed. He barraged her with concern, "Are you OK? I heard what happened! Thank goodness you're not hurt!" the World Champion then swung his head around to face the disguised boy, scowling, "You! Did you hurt my angel?" he stood up and ground his feet in front of the red-haired man, jabbing his finger into his chest, "I swear if you caused this, you'll never see the light of day again!"

Videl quickly grabbed her father's tense arm and denied his accusation, "No, Papa! This man saved me! If it weren't for him, I'd be a pancake."

Mr. Satan looked back down at his daughter, his expressions softened, "O-oh! Is that so?" he then turned back to Nos, his demeanor completely changed, his finger no longer accusing the disguised boy, "W-well, I apologize for the misunderstanding. Thank you for saving my daughter! I'll be sure to send you an autograph later," at that, the World Champion walked away with his hands on Videl's shoulders, guiding her back in the building with him.

"Papa, how could you be so cold to him?" Videl peered up at her father, scrunching her face in disapproval.

"What do you mean, Sweetie?"

"Nos saved me! He deserves better than a stupid autograph. You don't even sign them yourself!" she stopped in her tracks, refusing to let her father guide her away from the ring any further.

"N-Nos? You know this guy?" A bit shocked, Mr. Satan raised an eyebrow.

"W-well, not really… I just met him today at the tournament. He saved my life, and that's what matters, though!" Videl demanded.

"Alright, alright. I'll make sure this 'Nos' gets the golden treatment, OK, Sugar-pie?" he complied half-assedly, as if he were only saying it to make his daughter happy for the time being.

As her father pushed her back into the building back to his dressing room, Videl craned her neck back to get a final glimpse of Nos. she turned her head back and bit her lower lip as a ticklish feeling arose from within her belly, her cheeks flushing from pink to red. Although the feeling was fleeting and jumbled up in between the terror of falling out the window, the pigtailed girl could only describe what she felt as 'warm' and 'protected' when she thought back to Nos holding her in his arms.

'_It… it's not like I __**like**__ Nos… I barely know him! Not to mention… he gotta be somewhere around 5 years older than me,'_ Videl tried to reason to herself as she cradled her belly from the butterfly sensations, _'He's like a big brother to me… yeah, that's right! A big brother…'_

* * *

><p>End, Chapter 7.<p>

A/N: I apologize for the drag in this story – I think the fact that I wrote about my hardships thinking up a good design/idea for Gohan's disguise makes it feel sluggish. I upped the pace (hopefully), and the Nos x Videl is starting to kick in. I assure you, I'm well aware of Nos's 18-year old demeanor in relation to Videl's pre-teen age. I will NOT make them do anything with each other. Gohan x Videl will kick in next chapter with a change of pace in the plot, and I hope you all stick around to continue reading! (No more tournament writing, thank god! I am sooo bad at fight scenes.)

Thank you for your reviews, I appreciate them and cherish all your input!


	8. Chapter 8

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 8**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

A/N: Thank you **ShadowMajin** for betareading this chapter!

* * *

><p>It was expected that ChiChi threw a fit when Gohan lost the match in the adult division. Who would have anticipated such a turn of events? That the boy had to face Vegeta in the first round? Not only that, but her son had ultimately thrown the match to save Mr. Satan's daughter from falling out a window. Nevertheless, the half-Saiyan managed to calm his mother down by reminding her of the fact that he won 15 million zeni for landing second place in the junior division. Although the adult division was cancelled due to the stadium ring being severely damaged by Gohan and Vegeta, the tournament still took the time to commemorate the junior division winners.<p>

Gohan was relieved that it was finally done and over with. He was hoping for a better outcome, but the fact that he overestimated himself while under his transformation really blew the match for him. Even if Videl hadn't slipped and fallen, he wasn't sure if he was capable of winning against Vegeta within the circumstances of the tournament's rules. Maybe next year, he would enter again and be better prepared.

But, for now, the boy had to focus on other things, like his mother's wishes. ChiChi wasn't lying when she mentioned she wasn't going to go easy on him with his studies after the tournament was over. Indeed, the young half-Saiyan had a mountain pile of books waiting back at home to be read and studied. However, Gohan sat there at his desk, mindlessly flipping through the pages in a complete lulled state. Not once was he able to concentrate on his studies since he got home. It wasn't that he didn't want to study or anything, it was just the fact that something else was on his mind.

And that something was a person, someone he was finally able to speak with after the tournament was over.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan was lucky his disguise wore out just in the nick of time for the tournament's awarding ceremony. If he was still transformed as Nos, he wouldn't have been able to stand in the middle of the crater-pocketed ring to receive his prize money. After being rewarded with a silver medal and happily receiving a check for 15 million zeni, Gohan peered over to his left where Videl stood, ready to receive her gold medal and the grand prize of a check for 30 million zeni. He was glad the pigtailed girl didn't cast any suspicion towards him for disguising himself as Nos, especially since he had numerous interactions with the girl as his alias already.

It was then he recalled Videl telling Nos that she would forgive Gohan for underestimating her. The boy eyed the girl as she received her medal, remembering the specific way she said it – that because it was **Nos** asking her to forgive him she would. Gohan furrowed his brow. What did she mean by that? It didn't really make any sense to him as to why it mattered that it was Nos asking her rather than any other person.

Regardless, the half-Saiyan was relieved that the cerulean-eyed girl forgave him. But Gohan still wanted to apologize to her as himself, so he walked up to Videl after the ceremony was over.

"Congratulations, Videl," he coyly praised her, holding his voice back in slight hesitancy.

The pigtailed girl turned her head to the familiar voice. She then smiled, "Thanks! You too, Gohan."

Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he looked down at his feet, the boy began, "I, uh, I'm sorr –"

"I'm sorry I was being like I was earlier."

Gohan shot his head up in surprise. Videl was apologizing to him?

"I just… I want to become strong. I want to beat anyone on my own. My papa trained hard and was able to defeat Cell by himself, so I want to train hard just like him. Someday, I want to be strong like my papa," she explained.

A revelation hit Gohan, and he was finally able to connect the dots. With her father declared as the strongest man alive, the World Champion who defeated that monstrous creature, Videl was up against some high expectations. She certainly looked up to her father without a doubt. He inspired her.

The half-Saiyan smiled warmly at the pigtailed girl, "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to put you down or anything. You were capable of beating that kid without my help."

Videl flashed a wily grin, "I beat you, didn't I? Of course I'm capable!"

Gohan didn't know how to respond to that aside from a small, sheepish laughter.

Pausing for a moment, Videl's brow furrowed in thought. She wanted to ask him about the red-haired man who saved her and finally piped up, "I didn't know you were friends with Nos, Gohan."

Eyebrows perked, the half-Saiyan nervously scratched his cheek, "Y-yeah, we are kind of friends, I guess."

A warm blush crept over her cheeks, "He's an incredible fighter. …A-and, for a moment, I could've sworn he was floating in mid-air during his match," she furrowed her brow as she reminisced.

"O-oh? Heh, is that so?" again, he wasn't sure how to respond.

"Gohan?" Videl looked up at the boy in a curious manner, "I want to meet with him. Is… is there any way you can ask him? It looks like Nos already left. I want to thank him again for saving my life."

"M-meet with Nos?" the boy stammered. This was not a predicament he prepared for in hindsight.

"You're his friend, right? You know how to contact him, right?" Videl pressed.

"S-sure, I can do that."

o (o) (O) (o) o

'_I'm an idiot! Why did I agree to that?'_ Gohan scolded himself in reminiscence, _'Great, how am I going to keep up with this charade?'_ the half-Saiyan dropped his pencil down in between the pages of his textbook. He definitely wasn't going to be able to study at this rate.

Gohan had drunk the last of Uranai Baba's potion on the day of the tournament. He knew if he was going to keep his promise with Videl, he had to visit the fortuneteller once more for a refill. He just hoped that the old woman would be generous enough to take the time to concoct another batch for him.

"Mom, I'm gonna go to the city library," the half-Saiyan called out nervously as he walked down the hallway, "I, uh, need a certain book to finish this assignment!"

"OK, sweetie. Don't get caught flying, now," ChiChi responded without hesitation.

Gohan searched for Baba's Ki and found her at her home. After a long flight, the half-Saiyan descended and knocked on her door. The two exchanged greetings and the boy explained to her his situation – leaving out most of the details. He was glad Baba agreed to provide him with a potion when he needed one. She was just happy to serve him; after all, he was Earth's savior from Cell's destruction.

'_Now that that's all set and done, I guess I just gotta wait until I see Videl again. She asked to meet Nos tomorrow afternoon after she gets out of school… I wonder why she wants to meet with him. She did say she wanted to thank him again for saving her… but there's gotta be more to it, right?'_ Gohan scratched his head in deep thought as he continued to fly home, _'Maybe I'm over-thinking it. Gosh, this whole 'Nos' business sure is a lot of trouble.'_

o (o) (O) (o) o

Although it felt like endless years, the next day finally came for the half-Saiyan. Gohan took the time while Videl was at school to practice being his alter ego. Despite his level of maturity, the mentality of an adult was far different than his normal child-like attitude, and he wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to slip up at all during their meeting. The anticipation was nerve-wracking to say the least.

However, there were dormant feelings lingering within Gohan's mind about the pigtailed girl. Sure, the boy didn't want to slip up and reveal his identity, but he also didn't want to keep up with this scheme of his. Why couldn't he just enjoy spending time with Videl without the disguise? Why did she have to develop an interest for Nos, and not him? Not in a romantic way, but Gohan truly did enjoy spending time with the young fighter and he just wished he could do that without pretending to be someone else.

The half-Saiyan's mind drifted off as he was in auto-pilot mode, and it wasn't until he reached the outskirts of Satan City did he snap back into reality. Reaching a safe spot nearby the city park where he was supposed to meet Videl, Gohan descended and landed himself with a deep breath. He would be meeting the pigtailed girl as Nos in about 10 minutes.

Hiding behind a building, surrounded by bushes, the boy made sure to scan the area for any pedestrians. With no one in sight, Gohan pulled out a change of clothes— his late father's leisure attire – from his messenger bag and slipped the outfit on. He then pulled out the flask of Baba's potion and took a gulp of it. A puff of smoke engulfed his figure before he emerged as Nos. The disguised half-Saiyan rustled his red hair and took another deep breath before stepping out from the hidden corner. He walked into the park and sat down on a bench to wait for the cerulean-eyed girl to show up.

o (o) (O) (o) o

The school bell rung and the student body was dismissed from Orange Star Junior High. Videl leaped out of her seat and rushed out the door, excited to see the man who saved her life again. Her heart felt light as she jogged down the sidewalk towards the city park.

Yes, she was certainly elated to meet up with Nos, but it suddenly occurred to her that she wasn't sure how the day would pan out. She told Gohan she wanted to thank Nos again. But was that it? She wanted to think so. However, for some reason, there was something lingering in her mind that that wasn't the only reason she wanted to see him. Why was she so infatuated with this man? Why did he remind her so much of someone, but just couldn't quite put her finger on it? Videl did recall pointing out the similarities between Nos and Gohan's personalities, but something about that correlation didn't quite add up. Sure, they're friends, but she only started to get to know Gohan. But then again, that was the same case with Nos, as well.

A figure suddenly stood up in front of her line of sight. Looking up from the ground, Videl beamed as she laid her eyes on the red-haired man. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn't realized she had brought herself to the park, not to mention right in front of Nos no less.

"N-Nos…"

"Hi, Videl. How are you?" he gently smiled at her.

Videl could feel the butterflies swarming her stomach. She quietly replied, "Good," and cast her eyes down to her feet, abashed. There was a quiet pause between the two. Nos peered down at the girl while she stood there fidgeting with the seam of her shirt. Her lips finally moved as her tiny voice finally came out, "T-thanks. I wanted to see you to thank you for saving me at the tournament," she looked up at him, "I don't know what would've happened if you didn't."

Gohan couldn't help the blush that swept across his cheeks.

"D-don't sweat it," he replied.

Another long moment of silence.

'_Was this really all she wanted to see Nos for?'_ Gohan thought to himself.

Scratching his head, Nos looked up and around – for no particular reason. He didn't seem sure of what to do or say at this point.

A sudden gargle then echoed through their ears.

Eyebrow raised, Videl looked up from her feet. There it was again. That inhuman noise grumbling from… from Nos? She peered up at the red-haired man and questioned him with her eyes. She watched his face turn beat red and another stifled grunt emitted from his belly.

Nos rubbed his stomach and muttered in embarrassment, "Heh, kinda hungry…"

The pigtailed girl couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh. She was kind of glad his stomach decided to speak up. The atmosphere was too quiet for her liking. Her lips formed into a smug smirk, "Why didn't you say so? Let's go to eat! I know a great restaurant nearby – they'll treat us good since I'm the World Champ's daughter."

"Really?" Nos beamed, grinning ear to ear.

Videl nodded and grabbed his arm, dragging him to follow her. As she pulled him out of the park, Gohan quickly regretted his display of excitement. How could he let that slip his mind? **He** should be treating her to food, not her! Who lets a kid treat an adult?

Pulling his arm out of her grasp, Nos stepped in front of the pigtailed girl who then curiously peered up at him. Putting his hands in between the two, he suggested, "Why don't I take you somewhere, instead? It wouldn't be right if I let you treat me."

Videl felt the heat rise to her cheeks as a heartfelt smile spread across her lips. Happily, she agreed, "OK!"

Their roles reversed and it was now Nos's turn to lead. With a nod, he beckoned Videl to follow him. A short walk led the two to a hole-in-the-wall pizza parlor. With a quizzical expression, the pigtailed girl raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"We're gonna eat **here**?" she eyed the tiny building – its brick walls were worn down and the blue pigment of its awning was fading out. The parlor's sign was missing a letter in its name, and the specialty menu was written in white chalk against a black board. Fingerprints and smears made it quite difficult to make out the Soup of the Day.

Nos smiled with a nod, "Yup! This place may not look like much, but their food packs a punch! Trust me."

The two walked through the shabby door and seated themselves at an empty table. Videl picked up the menu and began to read through their selection. Nos placed his hand in between her and the pages and gently ushered it back down onto the table. He winked, "Don't worry about it, I got it covered."

As if on cue, a waitress walked up and greeted, "Are you two ready to order?" as she placed a glass of water in front of each of them.

"Can I get 4 large cheese pizzas, 3 baskets of fish n' chips, and 2 servings of your sweet potato fries?"

Hearing the monstrous order, Videl's mouth fell agape. She stared at the man in utter shock, forgetting to blink.

The waitress stood there, staring at the red-haired man for a moment. She then finally managed to comment, "Wow, you know, I only know of one other customer who orders the same thing you did! He's a kid, too. About your age," she pointed at Videl with her pencil.

Quick to react, Nos let out a nervous laughter, "Heh heh, is that so? Gee, what a strange coincidence!"

The waitress left to put in his order and the pigtailed girl seemed to finally find her voice box. She inquired, "That's not gonna be all for just us, is it?"

Rubbing the nape of his neck, he tentatively chuckled, "I kinda have a bit of an appetite."

Videl gave him a skeptical stare then sipped on the straw to her drink, scanning the area around her, "Do you come here a lot?"

"Occasionally. I don't come to the city often. But when I do, I stop by from time to time. Their food's great!"

"You're not from Satan City?" her curiosity peaked, "Where are you from, then?"

Before Nos could reply, their conversation was interrupted. "Sorry! I forgot to ask," the waitress suddenly popped in, "did you guys want anything to drink in particular?"

"U-uh, a cola, please," Nos answered with a shaky voice.

"I'll take a cola, too," Videl responded.

"OK, great! I'll be right back with them," the waitress smiled and walked off.

Nos suddenly bolted from his seat, standing upright and rigid, "U-um, I'll be right back – I need to use the restroom."

Before the pigtailed girl could say anything back, he slipped away.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Hurrying into the bathroom, Gohan closed the door behind him and slumped his back against it. He exhaled deeply and rubbed his palms against his face, cursing himself under his breath.

'_I really gotta watch what I say when I'm Nos. Videl will figure out that it's me if I'm not careful, for sure!'_ he then furrowed his brow, _'What am I supposed to say? If she asks me again, should I just lie to her about where I live? I have to, right? She already knows I live in the East District. If she found out Nos lives there too… Well, I suppose it wouldn't be too suspicious. We are supposed to be friends, after all. But still, I would think that's too much of a risk for me to take.'_

As he continued to ramble in his head, Gohan's vision was suddenly clouded up with smoke. Feeling a bit disoriented, the half-Saiyan looked down at his hands and noticed they were swimming in the sleeves of his jacket. He violently swung his head around and looked into the bathroom mirror. The boy's mouth fell ajar as he set his sight on his spiky jet-black hair and his onyx irises.

"Uh-oh," he gasped.

Quickly, he shot his hands down to open his messenger bag and rummaged through in search for Baba's potion. He flung his clothes out of the bag, emptying it of its contents.

"Oh. Shit…" he gasped once more.

'_Where is it? Oh, this is bad. This is really bad,'_ Gohan panicked. He had to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, so he flipped his bag upside down, shaking it a few times to ensure that it was completely empty. And it was.

Nervously, the half-Saiyan bit his lower lip. What was he going to do now? He must've dropped the potion behind that building when he transformed into Nos earlier. He had to go grab it, somehow. And he couldn't afford to have Videl notice. But how? The girl was actually seated so she faced the restrooms – leaving his chances of sneaking out undetected slim to none.

'_I just might have to rely on my super speed,_' Gohan assessed. He changed out of his father's clothes and into his own before he cracked open the door slightly, peering out to see if Videl was looking his way. She seemed occupied with the decorative pictures hung up on the wall to the left of her. The boy furrowed his brow, _'OK. All I gotta do is zip by. I'll be so quick the wind won't even hit her.'_

Swallowing hard, he took one last glance in the direction of his escape route, and then took another hard stare at Videl. He then dashed for it. Like a bolt of lightning, Gohan whizzed past Videl without causing any rhyme or reason for her to glance towards his direction. With his eyes trained on the girl, the half-Saiyan grinned to himself due to his success –

Or maybe not.

Gohan suddenly crashed into a body of mass and fell to the ground. Rubbing his back, he winced and scrunched his face up in complete stupefaction. Finally composing himself, he looked in front of him and saw a waitress flattened to the ground. Food was splattered all around her, and a large serving tray was still in the midst of wobbling along its rim, spindling down to a rattle until it lay still on the floor.

Videl swung her head towards the commotion.

"I-I'm sorry, miss!" Gohan stammered as he got up. He lent the woman a hand to help her get up, "Are you OK?"

"…Gohan?"

The half-Saiyan rigidly turned his head towards the voice he hoped he would avoid hearing. At least until he was transformed back to Nos.

As Gohan helped the waitress up, his lips twitched into a nervous smile, "H-hi, Videl."

* * *

><p>End, chapter 8.<p>

A/N: Thanks for your patience, guys! The closing of the semester is causing a hectic schedule for me.

Thank you for all your input! I understand this story may not cater to some folks, and I take no offense. I actually appreciate hearing complaints/issues and whatnot about my fic, so that I know what I'm doing right and doing not so right. But do keep in mind that this story is listed under the romance genre, and not action. :) (Not to say that I don't enjoy receiving complimenting reviews, though! Who doesn't? :P )

Also as a quick side note, I took the time to doodle a drawing of Gohan and Videl as pre-teens. If you're interested in taking a looksee, feel free to visit my profile. It's the last link on my bio.

I hope you all enjoyed reading – I will update as soon as I am able to!


	9. Chapter 9

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 9**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

* * *

><p>"…Gohan?" Videl peered over at the boy with a quizzical stare. What was he doing there?<p>

"H-hi, Videl," the half-Saiyan stammered.

'_Uh-oh. What do I do, now?'_ Gohan thought. He was caught red-handed.

"Funny meeting you here!" the pigtailed girl grinned, "I was just grabbing a bite to eat with Nos. He went to the bathroom, but he should be back in a second."

Maybe… he wasn't caught red-handed after all?

"O-oh, heh heh! Really, now? What a complete coincidence that we ran in to each other here… uh, all three of us, that is."

Elated and oblivious, Videl suggested, "Why don't you stick around? Nos ordered a **huge** meal. I know I won't be able to create much of a dent in it, and god knows how much that friend of yours can really fit in his stomach. Dig in with us."

"Um, I don't know…" Gohan began to contemplate. He wanted to jet out of that restaurant quick and find that missing flask of his.

However, as the boy took one more look at Videl, especially after seeing the slight pout on her face, it hit him. He thought, _'Wait a minute. I wanted to be able to hang out with Videl just as myself, and she's giving me this opportunity right now! It would be a waste if I didn't take this chance to have her get to know me instead of Nos.'_

"OK," he quickly changed his mind.

With a big grin plastered on her face, Videl reached over for Gohan's arm, tugging him towards the table she was seated at. She then grabbed a chair from a nearby table and plopped it right beside Nos's seat, beckoning the half-Saiyan to sit down. Hesitantly complying, Gohan sat down and eyed the empty seat next to him, knowing all too well that Nos wouldn't be showing up anytime soon.

The two kids hit it off chatting about the tournament, particularly about Videl's victory. Laughs and giggles could be heard from the other side of the room, and even a playful banter was exchanged between the two fighters.

"A fluke? Sure, Gohan, whatever you say!" Videl scoffed as she stuck her tongue out at the half-Saiyan.

Retorting back at her exposed tongue with his own, the onyx-haired boy joked, "He he, yeah! C'mon, it's believable, right?"

"Naw, I beat you fair and square! Just admit it."

Although the boy thought otherwise, he decided to go with the flow. "Oh, fine. I can't win against you on anything," he laughed.

As Gohan leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head, he studied the girl in front of him. Throughout their conversation, Videl seemed preoccupied. Her blue eyes constantly shifted from him to the bathroom behind him, which the half-Saiyan immediately knew what was going through her head.

"Sorry for the wait!" the waitress came over with a cart full of food, "Here's your order!" The woman transferred a large cheese pizza, all 3 baskets of fish and chips, and a plate full of fries over onto their table. She then said, "I'm going to leave the rest of the food on this cart. Eat up!"

As the waitress was about to leave, she glanced over at Gohan. She stopped in her tracks and exclaimed, "Oh, it's you! No wonder that red-haired man ordered all this food. I thought it was strange that he ordered exactly what you always get. You two must be friends, right?"

"Y-yes!" Gohan quickly replied, hoping to mask the anxiety building up inside him.

She smiled warmly at him and Videl, "Well, enjoy your food!" Just as she was about to walk away for the second time, the waitress took a second to study the two kids. She then leaned over to the pigtailed girl and whispered with a wink, "Make sure he treats you good! He is a sweetheart, after all."

Videl turned around to catch eyes with the waitress, but the woman had already twirled around and walked off. Cocking an eyebrow, the girl could only think that was a little strange. She focused her eyes on the boy in question, and watched him pick up a slice of pizza to eat.

'_What was that all about?'_ Videl inquired to herself about the waitress. She thought for a moment as she placed a slice in her mouth to take a bite. It then hit her like a brick, _'Oh! Could it be that she thought we're on a date? No way, right? I mean she knows Nos is here too…'_ she ran the waitress's whispered words through her head, _'Gohan __**is **__sweet, I guess.'_

Videl studied the half-Saiyan as he engorged himself with a slice of pizza, happily grinning to himself. Although seeing Gohan eat it in two bites would leave many in complete bafflement, the cerulean-eyed girl couldn't help but giggle.

"Slow down! You're gonna choke. Don't you know what chewing is?" Videl laughed as she watched him pick up another slice into his mouth.

With the tip of the slice already in his mouth, Gohan looked up at her with flustered cheeks. He then slowly bit into the slice, carefully chewing it.

Videl chuckled as she shook her head, and picked up her slice and took a bite. Swallowing it, she then inquired, "I wonder why Nos is taking so long in the bathroom?"

"O-oh! I, uh, I don't know…" the onyx-haired boy immediately slouched into his chair.

"Maybe you should check up on him, Gohan."

"M-me?"

The pigtailed girl cocked an eyebrow at him, "Of course, you. I can't go into the men's bathroom."

"O-OK…" Gohan put the pizza slice down and stood up from his chair. He gave Videl a nervous grin as he rubbed the nape of his neck then twirled around and headed for the bathroom.

'_Now what?'_ the half-Saiyan furrowed his brow as he thought in a panic, _'I can't transform into Nos without that potion! And even if I did have it on me, it's not like I can show up as both him and myself! Damnit, I really dug a hole for myself on this one.'_

After taking another moment to think about his situation, the half-Saiyan took a deep breath and decided to hell with it. He opened the door and smiled back at the curious gaze on Videl's face.

Rubbing the back of his head, he explained, "Sorry, Videl. It looks like Nos feels a little sick. He, uh, he thinks he should go home."

The pigtailed girl stood up from her seat, concern washing over her face, "Oh, no, is he OK? Does he need help? I can call one of my papa's workers to come pick him up –"

"N-no!" Gohan burst out in a frenzied panic, "T-that's OK! Really! U-uh, he actually told me that he's kind of embarrassed about it…"

"…About being sick?"

"Y-yeah… he doesn't want you to see him like this…" the boy stammered an excuse. Looking down at his feet, he scratched the top of his head and continued hesitantly, "He was wondering if you could step out for a minute?"

Baffled, Videl stared at Gohan for a moment. Cocking an eyebrow as one corner of her lips tugged into a small smile, she complied with a chuckle, "OK, sure. I never imagined Nos to be the type to get embarrassed about that." Shrugging her shoulders, she took a few steps towards the door. She called back to him, "I'll be waiting at the park, OK?"

"S-sure!"

'_Whew!'_ slumping his shoulders, the half-Saiyan sighed in relief.

o O (O) O o

Videl walked through the city park's entrance and plopped herself under a tree to cool off in the shade. As she gazed up at the dancing leaves above her, she wondered about the red-haired man.

'_I hope he's OK…'_ she then giggled to herself as a small blush swept her cheeks, _'Kinda funny he didn't want me to see him all sick, though. Ordering all that food and didn't even get to eat a single bite. At least Gohan got to enjoy it.'_

She then looked down at the ground and circled her finger along the blades of grass beneath her. The blush still tinting her cheeks, her lips curled into a small, coy smile.

Never did Videl imagine she'd have so much fun being around Gohan. He really was an interesting character. So full of cheerfulness and goofy smiles, and the fact that he was so naïve at times only made him that more fun to talk to. He truly was a great friend to hang around with. She felt so comfortable being around him. She didn't have to keep that 'World Champ's daughter' façade up in front of him. She could just be herself.

It even caused a warm feeling to arise within Videl as she thought about the half-Saiyan some more. However, within those warm swirls of emotions, the pigtailed girl also found something off about him. Why did he always seem so nervous at times? Now that she thought about it, Nos got nervous at times too, just like Gohan. The two boys were so similar in some ways.

'_I guess that's no surprise. They are friends, after all,'_ Videl reasoned.

The girl's ears suddenly perked at the sound of nearby bushes rustling. The wind certainly wasn't capable of creating such a ruckus, so she turned around and craned her neck to see what exactly was crawling over there.

Videl jumped in place when Gohan's head suddenly popped up from behind the bushes. Eyes widened in befuddlement, she questioned, "…Gohan?"

Immediately noticing her gaze, the boy flashed a wide grin as he nervously laughed, "H-hi, Videl! Heh, I was just, uh, looking for my wallet. I dropped it around here," he then raised his hand, waving his wallet for her to see, "I found it, though!"

Little did Videl know the half-Saiyan had just retrieved Baba's potion.

"I'll be right back, OK?" Gohan called out as he hopped out from the bushes, "I'm just gonna go pay for the food and come back out."

"W-wait, you don't have to pay for that," Videl protested.

"Don't worry about it," he grinned, "I ate it all, so the least I could do is pay for it. Uh, Nos didn't eat any of it, and he's sick on top of that."

Before the pigtailed girl could utter another word of objection, Gohan dashed over back into the restaurant, leaving her slightly flustered.

Cocking an eyebrow in disbelief, it then registered to her, "W-wait. He ate **all** of it?"

A few minutes passed and the onyx-haired boy came back, adorning the same grin he left with.

"T-thanks," Videl smiled. She then queried, "So, what happened with Nos?"

"I, uh, helped him out of the restaurant, and then he said that he would be OK walking home by himself."

"I hope he'll be OK."

Gohan peered over at the cerulean-eyed girl, and took note of her distant and worried gaze. He then gently smiled at her, patting her on the shoulder, "Don't worry. He's a strong guy; you saw him at the tournament, right? He'll be OK! Trust me."

Looking back up at him, Videl smiled in relief at his assurance. Her expression then changed, quizzically questioning him, "So, Gohan, did you really finish all that food?"

Red as a beet, he sheepishly nodded.

Letting out a chuckle, she responded back, "Wow Gohan. You and Nos both! You two sure do have an appetite."

The two then began to stroll down the park, side by side. They talked and laughed for a while in sheer enjoyment of each other's company. Videl got to learn more about Gohan: how he had a younger brother, how his mother was overbearing when it came to his studies, and how he enjoyed his free time in the wilderness on Mount Paozu. It amazed her how happy this boy was with such a simple life. Of course, little did she know about the hardships he had to face in the past.

Gohan also got to discover a little more about Videl, about her love for fighting, and her ambitions to serve justice. Although the boy knew that she idolized her father for fighting for his loved ones, he truly got a sense of her pride as she spoke more about Mr. Satan as well as her own ideologies. It was then, the half-Saiyan noticed how much alike she and he were. Before Gohan defeated Cell, he really wasn't fond of fighting. Regardless of how natural it came to him, he had an immense distaste for it. If only there was a way to resolve Earth's threats without violence.

Is what he thought at the time.

However, after defeating Earth's biggest danger, Gohan had come to cherish the time he spent training to hone his skill in fighting. Sure, he wanted peace first and foremost, but he learned that fighting was a necessary evil, especially when it came to protecting the ones he loved. Now that his father was gone, Gohan knew he was the one who had to protect this planet from any harm. And that's why he loved training. So much, he would sneak behind his mother's back in order to do it. Like Videl, he too felt the love and ambition for justice.

As the two walked, Videl spotted a playground equipped with a slide, jungle gym, swings, and everything in between.

She looked over at Gohan, and grinned, "Race ya to the swings!"

Caught off guard, the half-Saiyan watched the pigtailed girl giggle as she ran passed him. With a light-hearted smile, he followed behind, running to catch up with her.

It was then, Gohan's onyx eyes widened at an uneasy vibe. Brows furrowed, he stopped dead in his tracks.

He could feel a presence. A strange, yet weak presence. Someone was coming, and he was sure that whoever it was, it wasn't going to be very welcoming. The boy scanned the area with his eyes, honing his senses on the Ki that was approaching. Make that two.

Videl caught notice of Gohan's stiff composure, and stopped to turn around to see what exactly he was acting upon.

"What's wrong, Gohan?" she asked.

"Don't move, Videl," he sternly commanded.

The pigtailed girl gulped at his change in tone, complying nevertheless.

The half-Saiyan then violently swung his head towards one of the Ki approaching them. His brow scrunched up at the sight. A large man wearing a red brimmed hat and a checkered handkerchief covering his mouth slowly stepped towards the two, armed with a pistol pointing right at Gohan.

"You. Stay where you are, kid," the man gruffly spoke up.

Shocked, Videl froze up in place. Her eyes glued to the gun in the man's hand, she trembled at the sight, her bottom lips quivering as her teeth rattled.

Gohan honed his senses on the other Ki approaching.

An even larger man adorning an identical handkerchief as his comrade's popped out from behind a tree and approached with a pistol in hand.

"…G-G-Goh-han-n…" Videl shook in fear. She watched the large hulking bald man aim his firearm at her as her muscles involuntarily tensed up.

"What do you want?" the half-Saiyan demanded.

Cocking an eyebrow, the hatted man guffawed, "You got some balls, don't ya, kid? Tough luck, this ain't your day. 'Specially ain't Satan's daughter's either!" He then pointed at Videl with his free hand, directing his partner, "Bobba, grab her."

Immediately, the large bald man grappled Videl, tightening his hold on her with one hand, the other aiming his pistol at her.

"H-hey! Let her go, right now!" Gohan yelled.

If it weren't for the handkerchief sheathing the hatted man's mouth, Gohan would've seen his lips curl into a cunning smirk. "Like hell we will. We're taking your little friend with us. I wouldn't think about trying to stop us. You'll only… well, die. Ha ha!"

"Ha ha!" the bald man imitated his partner in crime, "Yeah! We gotta borrow her for a bit, OK? We not gonna hurt her, we promise!" The sarcasm in his voice was all too prominent. "We just gotta contact her daddy and ask him a favor. Don't worry! Haw!"

"B-blackmail?" Gohan gritted his teeth in anger, "You two are scum. Let go of her right now, before it's too late."

The two men took a moment to stare at each other after hearing the boy's threat. They then burst into laughter.

"Ah ha ha ha! You're kidding, right? Ha! You really do got balls, kid! What a riot! You listening to this, Bobba?"

"Ha ha! Yeah, Greg, I am! Funny shit! You should be a comedian, kiddo!"

Gohan merely smirked at their boisterous laughter. His eyes then darted over to Videl, who was shivering like a Chihuahua in Bobba's threatening grasp. He could see her quivering lips mouth to him, 'Help me'.

The smirk on Gohan's face quickly disappeared. A frown commandeered his expression, and he steadied himself into a fighting stance. He then muttered, "Fine. I warned you."

The half-Saiyan suddenly vanished from sight. The two criminals widened their eyes with their mouths agape in utter shock and befuddlement as to where the boy suddenly disappeared to. Before the bald man could manage to gasp, Gohan appeared in front of him, inches from where he stood. The boy quickly backhanded the pistol, swatting the firearm off of Bobba's trigger finger. As the pistol skidded across the playground, Gohan ducked down and landed a hard blow at the large man's stomach. Spit spewed from the culprit's mouth, and his grip loosened around Videl's tiny body. As he tumbled down to the ground, Gohan turned his attention towards the hatted man.

Too shaken and stunned to move, Videl watched her friend turn his back to her as he faced the remaining criminal. Greg trembled in place, shocked and terrified that a mere kid was able to knock his partner down with one punch. Somewhat recomposing himself, the man re-aimed his pistol at Gohan.

"D-don't move! I'll sh-shoot you! I'll shoot your friend too!" he nervously laughed as he cocked his gun, "W-what will the almighty Mr. Satan think when he sees his precious little daughter's dead, huh? All cuz you couldn't just be a good boy and listen!"

Despite the man's threat, Gohan continued to advance towards the man.

"N-not only that, you'll hafta deal with my boss, you know! A-and he won't be happy, nuh-uh!" he continued to nervously chuckle.

Greg's eyes widened in fear as he watched the boy push off with his feet, hurdling himself towards him. In a frenzied panic, the man pulled his trigger finger before he was blinded with pain as Gohan bashed his elbow right into his face.

A shot rang through the air and Videl instinctively ducked for cover.

Slowly, the pigtailed girl unsheathed her cerulean eyes.

A little startled, Videl jumped in place to see Gohan standing a foot away from her. She then peered passed him and glanced at the knocked out criminal who lay on his back, his nose bloodied from the boy's attack.

Gohan reached his hand out to her and asked, "Are you OK?"

Unable to find her voice, Videl nodded shakily, blindly reaching out to take his hand. The half-Saiyan helped her up and smiled in relief. "Glad you're not hurt. Man, that was some ruckus!" he sheepishly laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

However, Gohan was suddenly enveloped by Videl's arms. She threw herself to him, embracing him tightly. Tears began to shed and cradle within the crevices of her eyes. Gohan could feel her body tremble against his, and he couldn't help but hug her back to comfort her.

Words did not need to be exchanged. The onyx-haired boy knew. He could tell how scared Videl was just by looking at her.

Gohan couldn't help but blush. The only thought that ran through his head was to comfort her. What was he to say? He just didn't know in a situation like this. Should he say anything at all?

Just as he was about to attempt to relay a few words of assurance, he felt Videl shift around in his embrace.

She quietly muttered against his shirt, "Thank you…"

* * *

><p>End, chapter 9.<p>

A/N: Sorry, guys! I know I am updating slower than usual. Like I mentioned before, it's the end of the semester; my studies and work have been occupying most of my time. I hope you understand, and please stick around for future chapters! Once next week is over, I will have time for about a month to make up for it, until I have to start yet another semester (sigh!). I also apologize that this chapter and the previous are a little short, but again, I hope you guys understand!

This chapter was slightly rushed, but I hope you enjoyed reading it, regardless.

I appreciate all your reviews, comments, and criticisms!

Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 10**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

* * *

><p>It was that moment, Gohan knew. He wanted to keep Videl safe.<p>

As he felt the pigtailed girl within his arms, burying her face in his chest, the half-Saiyan couldn't help but want that. Videl was one tough cookie, there was no doubt in his mind. But Gohan knew there was a hidden side of her. Underneath that tough exterior was an inexperienced fighter inspired by strong influences like her father. She yearned to be that tough-as-nails martial artist, yet she had yet to reach that goal. In reality, Videl was just a girl who Gohan wanted to protect.

"Um," the boy sputtered.

Videl loosened her embrace and looked up at him, noticing the crimson red staining his cheeks. Abruptly, she pulled back from his body and averted her gaze, blushing in embarrassment from her impulsive action.

"A-are you OK, Videl?" Gohan managed to ask.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up, is all," she attempted to regain her stern composure.

"I'm glad you're not hurt."

The half-Saiyan then watched Videl's flustered expression change. Her brow furrowed and she questioned him with her eyes. Feeling uneasy, Gohan took a step back.

"Gohan… I…" her voice trailed off.

Her sentence unfinished, she sealed her lips back up, swallowing the words that were about to come out. She shook her head gently and masked her befuddlement with a smile. "Never mind. It's nothing."

Confused, Gohan cocked an eyebrow. He decided to shrug it off and smiled back at her. He was just glad Videl was unharmed from that crazy hostage attempt.

"We should get out of here," he then suggested, casting a glance at the two unconscious criminals lying on the ground.

Without hesitation, Videl nodded in agreement.

As the two walked away to the exit of the park, Gohan suddenly halted his steps, causing Videl to stop and turn around. She asked, "What's wrong?"

He wanted to tell her, but he hesitated. This just didn't seem to be to right moment to bring it up. So instead he asked, nervously kicking at the ground, "W-well, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out again sometime." His voice softened in anxiety, "I know that you were with Nos at first, and this was a total coincidence that we ended up hanging out. But I'd like to do it again, if you want to, that is."

Videl stared blankly at Gohan for a moment. She then flashed an elated smile, "Yeah, Gohan, definitely! How about next week?"

A little surprised by her quick response, Gohan stammered happily, "S-sure!"

o (o) (O) (o) o

A week flew by quickly. Before Gohan knew it, he was going to go see Videl again. He was glad the day had finally arrived because he planned to tell her some news.

The two agreed that Gohan would meet Videl at the entrance to her school when she got out. So, the half-Saiyan flew over to Orange Star Junior High and waited by the gates. The bell must have already rang, because he watched the student body slowly begin to shuffle out of the front doors. He peeled his eyes open for the pigtailed girl, who he eventually spotted with her bubbly blonde friend he had briefly met before.

Catching sight of the boy, Videl waved to him as she approached, "Hey!"

Grinning, he replied, "Hi, Videl, hi, Erasa!"

Erasa shot him a quick smile and waved, "Hey, it's you! Gohan, right?"

He nodded in response. He then turned his attention back to Videl, "So, what do you want to do today?"

Videl lightly shrugged her shoulders, "Doesn't matter. We can figure it out, right?"

Erasa pouted, "Aw, you two are gonna go hang out? Is this why you didn't want to go to the plaza with me, Videl?"

Blushing lightly, the pigtailed girl responded defensively, "Well, I promised Gohan that we would hang out today."

"Oh?" Erasa shot her a wily smirk, glancing at Gohan before darting her eyes back at her best friend.

Cocking an eyebrow, Videl skeptically asked, "What?"

"Nothing," her friend sang, "I gotta get home now! My mom said she'd take me to the plaza. I'll see you later, Videl. Bye, Gohan!" At that, Erasa trotted off.

"I swear. Erasa's just so strange sometimes. Oh well," Videl turned to the half-Saiyan, "let's get going!"

"OK, where?" he asked.

Taking a moment to think, Videl then replied, "I'm not sure, but I know I don't want to stick around school, that's for sure."

It was then that Gohan decided this would be the best opportunity to finally bring it up. He meekly began, "Speaking of school… um, well, I've been thinking a lot."

The pigtailed girl looked up at him questionably.

"I think… I think that I want to go to school. You know… here…" his voice trailed as his nerves began to act up.

It was true, he did. Especially after being able to hang out with Videl and discovering how much he enjoyed her company, it came to mind that he really wanted to continue to socialize with this girl. Moreover, being able to form a friendship between Videl and himself, Gohan also thought that it was time to make some new friends – friends who lived seemingly normal lives, and friends who were in the same age group as him.

However, friendship was not the only thing on the half-Saiyan's mind. He was serious when he decided he wanted to continue to protect the pigtailed girl. Something about her captivated him to want to stay close to her.

Videl studied his features – his cheeks flushed, his eyes downcast. "Y-you wanna come to school here at O.S. Junior High?" she asked to confirm.

Unsure as to whether Videl was displeased with his decision or not, his voice softened to practically a whisper, "Y-yeah."

Her lips then curled into a wide grin, "Awesome! I'm so glad!"

"Y-you are?"

"Yeah! I was hoping that I'd be able to see you more," her voice trailed slightly in embarrassment, "It's really fun being around you. Plus…"

There was a pause of silence.

"…Plus?" Gohan beckoned her to continue.

"Well, plus, I was hoping that I'd be able to train with you some time."

Baffled by her statement, Gohan repeated, "T-train with me?"

"Yeah… that is, if that's OK with you… I mean, you're really strong… and I want to become stronger."

It took a brief moment for a smirk to form on Gohan's face. He playfully retorted, "Stronger, huh? Stronger than me? You beat me at the tournament, didn't you?"

Not denying his rebuttal, Videl replied, "That's not what I meant," she averted her gaze, "Like last week. When those guys tried to hold me hostage? You were the strong one, Gohan. Once I saw that gun in their hand… I… I couldn't move. But you were able to beat them, no problem. That's why I want to learn to be strong like you!"

Completely baffled, Gohan stood there in slight shock. He had no idea that Videl would ever yearn to be strong like him in any aspect. She was known to figure things out on her own – the independent type. But now she's asking him to help train her? Gohan wasn't even sure if it would be a good idea to say OK. Indeed, he wanted to get closer to the pigtailed girl, but training with her one-on-one might just be too close for comfort. Anything that had to do with his Saiyan strength was too close for comfort. But…

He **did** want to get closer to her…

Noticing the hesitation, Videl asked once more, the plea in her voice becoming more prominent, "Gohan, please?" She studied his onyx eyes.

"I-I don't know," he scratched his head.

Frowning at his response, she narrowed her eyes at him before she cast her glance off to the side. She muttered, "You wouldn't understand, I guess."

His curiosity peeked, Gohan gave her a questioning look.

"I want to be able to do what you did back then at the park. I want to fight crime and be able to say I did it all by myself." She then swallowed hard before continuing, "My papa saved the world, Gohan. If I can't even fight off a couple of low-life's, then what will Papa think of me? What will Papa's fans think of me? I **have** to be strong… I have to!"

As Gohan watched Videl's hands clench up into fists, he contemplated once more.

…He supposed training her wouldn't be all that bad. No, not at all.

Videl was right. She was up against some tough expectations. It would only be right to help her succeed in fulfilling her goal.

Gohan had felt Videl's Ki while she was in combat enough times to proclaim that she certainly had a knack for fighting. She was blessed with a unique Ki, which the half-Saiyan could certainly boost with the right training techniques. If Gohan went through with it and trained her, Videl could possibly end up just as strong as Krillin and Yamcha.

However, the fact that the half-Saiyan had never trained anyone before was bothersome. Was he old enough, skilled enough, worthy enough to train someone? He supposed that being the fighter who killed Cell would be. Yet, there was something about training the daughter of Mr. Satan that made Gohan feel a little uneasy.

Despite it all, the boy gave in. Furrowing his brow, he replied, "Alright. I understand." His features then softened as he gave her a sheepish smile, "But I've never trained anyone before – so go easy on me, OK?"

Videl couldn't help but let out a small giggle. "Shouldn't **I** be saying that, not you?" she laughed.

"Heh, I guess!" he laughed in return, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Anyway, let's stop standing around and go have some fun!" the pigtailed girl then suggested, taking note of the fact the two were still in front of the school.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Videl and Gohan decided to go to the arcade. The two friends battled each other in fighting games, racing games, shooting games, and even air hockey. They then moved on to other arcade games, like Skee Ball and the Crane Game.

Eventually, they earned plenty of tickets to trade in for a prize.

Videl trotted over to the counter and peered up at the available prizes. She studied the tags, observing the amount of tickets that was needed in order to buy each prize. As she scanned the area, she laid her eyes on a video game cartridge.

"N-no way! They have King of Virtual Masters IV!" she exclaimed, pressing against the glass case barring her from laying her hands on the game.

Gohan walked over and noticed Videl squishing her nose up against the casing. He peered through the glass and pointed at the game cartridge she was eyeing, "You wanna get this game?"

"Yeah! Gohan, I hear it's awesome! The evil magistrate comes back from the 3rd game and apparently there's a special add-in after you beat Story Mode!" Videl beamed before she slumped in defeat, "…But, it's worth 5,000 tickets. I have 138…"

Gohan thought for a moment. He had earned about 265 tickets. Combined with Videl's, that made a total of 403. Videl would need a whopping 4,597 more tickets.

A piece of cake for a Saiyan.

Gohan reached into his pocket and grabbed his share of tickets, placing it in Videl's hand. He flashed a grin at her, "Don't worry! I'll get it for you."

Videl watched the boy quizzically as he trotted off to the Skee Ball machines. _'He can't possibly be suggesting that he earns four and a half thousand tickets right now, is he? That's near impossible; it would take all day if not two or three!'_

However, Gohan was already racking up plenty of tickets. Every ball he rolled, he landed it perfectly in the 100 pt. hole. Every basketball he threw landed in the highest scoring hoop. Every pellet he shot hit each and every target.

Before Videl knew it, the half-Saiyan was handing her piles and piles of tickets as he continued on to the next arcade game. She was left speechless. This boy… he was over-the-top incredible!

"How many tickets do you have now?"Gohan asked as he finished yet another round of the Crane Game, easily picking up a wad of tickets for her.

Videl was just finishing up counting all the tickets Gohan had earned. "Seven, eight, nine… nine hundred… one, two, three… Wow, Gohan!" she burst out in shock, "Four thousand nine hundred and three tickets! Just 97 more tickets to go!"

"Great!" he beamed.

o (o) (O) (o) o

It certainly didn't take long for the half-Saiyan to achieve getting the last of the tickets in order for Videl to win that video game. The pigtailed girl was so elated she couldn't help but thank the boy over and over and over again. Gohan was just glad he was able to make her happy.

As they walked out of the arcade, Videl hugged the game cartridge against her chest. She looked over to Gohan and happily asked, "Hey, you wanna come over and play Virtual Masters with me?"

"C-come over?" he stammered in response.

"Yeah! You earned this game. The least I could do is play it with you!"

"G-gosh, would that be OK? What about your dad?"

"Don't worry!" she assured him, "My papa's training his pupils today, so he'll be busy at the dojo. C'mon, Gohan, how about it?"

Gohan had never stepped foot inside a girl's home before. For some reason, the thought of entering Videl's caused head to rise to his cheeks. At the same time, his stomach quenched in anxiety, knowing he would be entering the home of the World Champion.

Nevertheless, Gohan agreed to stop by. He followed Videl to her home – a mansion fit to house twenty families – and humbly entered. He felt so out of place in this world of riches. It was difficult enough to fathom the fact that he was stepping foot inside such a large home.

Videl broke his thoughts by beckoning him to follow her to her bedroom. They trudged up the grand stairwell and headed down the hallway. The pigtailed girl opened the door that was adorned by a pink sign labeled, 'Videl', and motioned Gohan to follow.

"Come on in. This is my room," she told him.

The half-Saiyan scanned her bedroom. The walls were painted pink, and her bookshelves were decorated with various stuffed animals. On the other side, a large shelf stood tall, holding all of the martial arts trophies Videl had won. Gohan was surprised in many aspects. He knew the girl was strong for her age, but he never imagined she would already be holding so many achievements. Not only that, her room certainly wasn't what the boy expected.

"Pink walls and stuffed animals?" he asked her, surprised.

"What?" she replied defensively, "I **am** a girl, you know. In case you forgot."

Quickly retracting his skepticism, Gohan stammered, "O-of course I didn't, don't be silly!"

Laughing it off with a small giggle, Videl walked over to her TV and put the cartridge in her game console. She then turned around and grinned at him, "Hope you're ready for an ass whooping!"

Gohan retorted back, "Ha ha, I could say the same thing to you!"

The two kids spent the next hour or so playing against each other in King of Virtual Masters IV. They laughed and giggled as they combatted against each other, giving and receiving playfully snide remarks about their game performance.

After finishing up yet another match, Videl dropped the controller to the floor, reaching her arms far out to stretch. "Let's call it a day, huh?"

Gohan nodded as he let out a soft chuckle, "My hand's starting to get cramped!"

The half-Saiyan leaned back with his legs stretched out, his arms and hands propping himself up on the floor. He turned his head over to Videl and smiled.

Slightly baffled by his glance, the pigtailed girl couldn't help but blush a little. She asked hesitantly, "W-what?"

"Nothing," he replied, "I'm just really happy we hung out today."

Her cheeks vivid with a red stain, she coyly smiled back. "Y-yeah. I am too!" she agreed, "Maybe Nos can join us next time."

Gohan froze up. Nos?

He hoped that Videl had forgotten about that 'man'.

"O-oh? M-maybe…" the half-Saiyan sputtered, unsure of how to handle this predicament.

Her cheeks still flushed, her eyes gleamed as she continued to speak about the red-haired man. She added, "Yeah, maybe he can come during our training sessions too?"

Uh-oh. Not good.

"I… I, uh, I don't know. I have to uh, ask him," Gohan managed to reply.

"Can you? It'd be great to see him again…"

The onyx-haired boy watched Videl as she spoke – how her voice trailed softly, full of longing desire. Why?

Gohan asked himself. Why? Why did his alter ego have to be engraved in this girl's mind? Why did he go ahead and enable Videl to create a relationship with this 'Nos' character, rather than just forming the relationship they were creating on a day like this with his normal self? And why did he have to keep on lying to her about his disguised self?

Maybe it was time to tell her the truth.

Gohan swallowed hard as his contemplation slowly turned into a thoughtful decision.

But… why wouldn't the words come out of his mouth? His lips agape, his eyes full of the truth he desperately wanted to reveal, yet not a single sound escaped his throat.

He just couldn't.

The half-Saiyan cursed himself under his breath for acting so cowardly.

"Gohan?" Videl interrupted his thoughts, "Is everything OK?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!" he forced a smile and quickly flashed it at her. "I think it's time I get going, though."

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan sat at his desk in his bedroom, glazing his eyes over the flask in his hand. There was still plenty of Baba's potion left inside.

As he continued to fiddle with the bottle, rotating it in his hand as he watched the pink liquid slosh around inside, he furrowed his brow in deep thought.

'_Maybe it would be best to just dump the potion out. Videl keeps on wanting to see Nos again, and this charade is tiring me out. If I keep Nos around, it'll only get worse, right? I can't keep digging a hole for myself.'_

Yet he was still hesitating. Gohan knew there was something about Nos in Videl's eyes. Every time she spoke of him or thought of him, he could see the change in her whole demeanor. Although the half-Saiyan wasn't sure what exactly the girl was thinking, he at least knew that the look she had on her face each time Nos was mentioned could not be replicated in any other situation.

It didn't make a whole lot of sense it him, really. As far as Gohan knew, he didn't act any different from his normal self when he was pretending to be Nos. Aside from keeping an adult-like image, Nos was just Gohan. So why did Videl look at him differently when he was Nos rather than as himself? It just wasn't fathomable.

The boy attempted to shake his thoughts out of his head. _'Maybe I'm thinking too much into this,'_ he reasoned as he got up from his chair, _'I just need to clear my head. I'll eat dinner then sleep on it. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a better idea as to what to do.'_

Gohan trudged down the hallway towards the kitchen. Plopping himself down at the table, he glanced over at his mother who was finishing up her cooking. He shifted his gaze over to the small television propped up on the counter and picked up the remote. Mindlessly flipping through the channels, the half-Saiyan suddenly widened his eyes. He went back one channel and glued his onyx orbs onto the screen, his mouth slightly agape in shock.

Videl's home was on the news.

Which, in reality, probably wouldn't have been very shocking to Gohan. But the headline underneath the video was what really caught his attention.

'Daughter of Mr. Satan held hostage. World champ's whereabouts unknown.'

Immediately, the half-Saiyan raised the volume and listened intently.

"What you are witnessing right now is live footage of Mr. Satan's home. We have received word that Satan Videl, the daughter of the World Champion, along with some employees of Mr. Satan are being held hostage inside! It is believed that a local gang is responsible for this attack, and they are demanding Mr. Satan to come forth," the news reporter explained as he stood in front of the enormous mansion.

Yellow tape barricaded the house, and police vehicles surrounded the property. Helicopters were also in view, circling the vicinity with a spotlight.

The reporter continued, "Mr. Satan! If you are watching, please, hurry! Your daughter may be in grave danger! You must come back home immediately!"

o (o) (O) (o) o

Elsewhere nearby, Mr. Satan and his pupils were huddled up in a room watching the news.

"M-Mr. Satan… shouldn't you head back home?" one of his pupils asked.

"Y-yeah, your daughter…!" another piped up.

Mr. Satan was probably the one person who wanted to go back home more than anyone else who wanted him to. His daughter was in danger, for crying out loud! He really wanted to. He had to save his daughter… but why wouldn't his legs move?

He looked down at his feet and watched his own legs tremble.

A man's home is his castle. But was it necessary to make his a fortress? It didn't matter if it was Mr. Satan or an ordinary man and his family. When the last shred of privacy and security is breached, it seems hopeless to think the world is a safe place.

* * *

><p>End, chapter 10.<p>

A/N: Oh no! Videl's in trouble!

Finally finished my semester! Glad it's over. Phew!

I hope you enjoyed reading! I appreciate comments, suggestions and criticisms.


	11. Chapter 11 FINAL

**Puppy Love**

**Ch. 11 - Final **See Author's note at bottom of page.**

Disclaimer: Do not own.

* * *

><p>"We just gonna wait here 'til he comes? C'mon, Greg, that's boring!"<p>

Videl's ears perked up to the deep voice. As she forcefully pried her eyes open, managing to look past the white, hazy blur enveloping her sight, she suddenly felt like she wanted to pass out.

'_What… what's going on…?'_ she asked herself, attempting to refocus her vision. She suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot through her temple. Bringing her hand up, she rubbed the side of her head to ease the ache.

"Oh, look, she's awake," another voice piped up, "Bobba, go grab the boss, will ya?"

'_Greg… Bobba… these names sound so familiar… where am I?'_ Finally able to focus her eyesight, Videl looked up to see what was going on.

She was at home, still. Yet, she was not in her bedroom. Book cases surrounded her, and she realized she was in the library. As she scanned her eyes down the shelves of books, past the tall ladders and large desks, her eyes then widened to an ugly sight.

Her tiny lips fell agape as she let out a startled gasp. A handful of the employees who worked in her house were all huddled to one side of the room. Tied up and unconscious, their faces beaten, bloodied, and bruised.

Videl violently swung her head around and settled her eyes on two familiar-looking men. There was no doubt about it – they were the same punks who had attempted to capture her a week ago.

The bald man grinned, "Nap time's over, doll face."

She remembered now. That bald man was Bobba, and she could only assume the other was Greg. From what she could recall, Greg wore a hat during their last encounter, but it seemed he decided to let his blonde hair show freely this time.

Before Videl could retort back in any way, Bobba reached behind her and picked her up off the floor by her shirt. Her face leveled with his, she watched his sinister grin widen. The sight of him made her want to puke.

Despite the fear that was engulfing her entire being, the pigtailed girl mustered up enough anger and courage to spit in his face.

"Augh!" the man cried out as he took a step backwards, releasing his hold from Videl's shirt. The girl winced in pain as she fell down to the wooden floor. "You bitch!" Bobba cried out in anger as he took a step towards her, wiping the saliva off with his sleeve.

Videl's confidence quickly shrank. _'Oh, god. Why did I do that? He's gonna kill me!'_

"Chill out," Greg commanded, causing Bobba to stop in his tracks. "Do what Ulysses told us: tie 'er up. She's Mr. Satan's daughter – who knows what kinda' martial arts tricks she might be hidin' from us."

"I dunno. She didn't do nothin' when we tried to get her that other time. It was that punk she was with, remember?"

"Oh, shut your trap! We agreed not to talk about that, didn't we?" Greg fumed, "Damn kid. Can't believe he managed to knock us both out. It was sheer luck, I tell ya."

Shrugging his shoulders, Bobba complied. As he crept towards the pigtailed girl, Videl scooted herself backwards up off the floor and quickly planted her feet in a fighting stance.

Her arms and legs trembling with sweat forming on her brow, she grit her teeth and clenched her fists. _'I can't let them touch me, I have to fight back!'_

Bobba scoffed, "Haw! Lookit' her! She wants 'ta fight!"

"Careful. Remember what I said," Greg warned him.

On cue, Videl rushed at the bald man. She swooped down with her left foot forward, hoping to trip the man. However, her attempt was futile. Bobba quickly swept her leg up with his hand and picked her up by the ankle, dangling her upside down.

He laughed as he watched the pigtailed girl squirm in his grip, "Careful? 'Bout what?"

"Whatever. Tie her up!"

Bobba reached behind him and grabbed the rope dangling from his belt loop. Taking advantage of this opening, Videl quickly swung herself forward, jabbing her fist into his side.

The bald man cried out in pain, "My goddamnmotherfucking kidney! Gahh!" Fueled by anger, he swung his arm with full force, slapping Videl across the face.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Gohan swallowed hard as he watched the news. The footage showed an aerial view of the Satan mansion. It was evening time, so the surrounding spotlights and sirens were dancing vividly in contrast to the pitch of darkness.

'_I gotta do something,'_ he thought.

It almost baffled the half-Saiyan that he was just at that mansion but a few hours ago. Now it was being terrorized by some local gang, and Videl was in danger.

Gohan ran back to his room and grabbed the flask of his transformation potion. Just as he was about to put the rim to his lips and drink it, he halted himself.

He knew this was no time to be contemplating such things, but he couldn't help but wonder if it would be a bad idea to show up as Nos. He really didn't like how Videl was still interested in seeing him. If he showed up as his disguised self, he'd only be digging that hole deeper.

…But if he showed up as his normal self, he might seem just a **little** abnormal to be taking down an entire gang by himself.

"Damnit, I can't be thinking about these things now!" he exclaimed to himself in frustration. Taking one last glance at the pink fluid, Gohan furrowed his brow as he took a gulp of the concoction.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Back at the Satan dojo, the World Champion had separated himself from his students by trudging over to the bathroom. As he sat there on the toilet (with the seat cover down, of course), Mr. Satan narrowed his eyes as his brow furrowed. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he stared into nothingness.

'_Those men probably have guns and stuff! I only got my fists – that's just not fair! What do I do? God damnit… Videl… my angel… please be safe…'_

o (o) (O) (o) o

Mr. Satan's thoughts were somewhat correct; Videl was unharmed – for the most part. Yes, the pigtailed girl did receive a couple blows, but none were endangering enough that she couldn't stand up on her own feet.

And she probably would, if she weren't tied up on the floor of her home's library.

Feeling the burning pain on her cheek from the slap Bobba delivered, Videl winced as she tried to mover her arms. It was no use. Her wrists were bound together so tightly that even the slightest movement created the aching friction rubbing up against her delicate skin. Moreover, her ankles were also bound just as tightly.

There was no way to escape.

Videl suddenly heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Frozen in place, she waited in anticipation to see who was coming. She did not breathe, she did not blink. She could feel her thighs trembling against each other in fear and anxiety.

As the door cracked open, Videl craned her neck to see who was coming in, mentally preparing herself for the worst. She watched a booted foot come forth, then the rest of its body.

'_This must be that man those guys called Ulysses,' _she assessed.

She trailed her eyes up from his shiny black boots to his finely creased pants, to his huge golden buckle on his belt, all the way up past his red silk shirt. She finally laid her eyes on the man's face. His eyes were sheathed with sunglasses, but she could at least see the smirk forming across his lips. The man was tall; he hovered over both Greg and Bobba by several inches.

Videl finally managed to blink as the man approached her. She craned her neck back to look up at the man's face as he towered over her. His deep voice rang through her ears, "Where is he?"

Furrowing her brow, she hesitantly asked, "W-who?"

In a flash, the man's smirk drooped into a scowling frown. Gritting his teeth, he thrust his leg forward and jammed his boot into her ribs, causing her to fall onto her side. As the poor girl screamed in agonizing pain, the man asked once more, his voice deepening in anger, "Where is he? You know damn well who I'm talking about."

He watched Videl squirm and wiggle on her side in an attempt to sit back up. Her hands and feet flailed around as much as the restraints allowed her to. The man couldn't help but chortle at the sight.

"How pathetic. And you call yourself the World Champion's daughter," he scoffed before he turned to face his two cronies, "Greg. How's the search?"

"A-ah, um, well, boss, I'm not sure. Them other guys says they'd take care of it and all, so I stayed here to keep an eye on 'da girl," he meekly explained himself.

Greg quickly shut his mouth after noticing Ulysses' frustration fume from every pore in his body.

'_Search? What search?'_ Videl asked herself in bafflement.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted when Greg suddenly collapsed to the ground. The pigtailed girl gasped as she inched herself away from his body, shuffling her bound feet as much as she could. Her eyes then widened at the sight of an oversized needle jammed in his neck. His veins were popping out, pulsating in an erratic motion. As sweat formed all over Greg, his eyes still pried open with a look of shock, Videl quickly turned her gaze up to Ulysses.

"You seem confused, doll," the boss calmly spoke, "Don't worry. He's not dead." He then crouched over Greg's unmoving body and plucked the needle from his neck. "He's well alive, can't you see?" he gestured towards his crony's eyes which were still unsheathed. "He just took a little tranquilizer to the neck is all. Heh, he won't be moving for the next month or so. Won't be eating or drinking unless I stick a feeding tube in him. Serves him right for not listening, don't you think, little Ms. Satan?"

Videl couldn't help but cringe as she felt the cruel man's fingers cup her chin. Even if she did have the ability to fight back with all four limbs freed, she didn't think she'd be able to move anyway. Ulysses' entire demeanor was terrifying to her for some reason. The way he carried himself – the way he spoke, the way he walked, and especially the way he had masked his skill in fighting. No amateur could maneuver as quickly as he did. That dart shot out from nowhere, and not only that, but it was a direct hit to one of Greg's main arteries. On top of it all, this man claims that a single hit from one of his darts would render someone paralyzed for an entire month? How could anyone possibly fight back after getting hit with one of those?

"Now then," Ulysses cleared his throat, "While my men search this lovely home of yours, you could be of some help to me. A little birdy once told me your papa's got a safe hidden somewhere. Can you tell me where it is?"

Videl almost wanted to gag from listening to his phony "nice" attitude. She could practically feel his horrendous breath against her cheek from his face being so close to hers. Craning her neck back, furrowing her brow as she attempted to create some distance between her face and his, she warily replied in a tiny voice, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ulysses leaned back, straightening himself. He guffawed cynically, "Now, now. Let's not play this game, OK?"

Just as he raised his hand to strike the girl, a throaty and amplified voice echoed from a distance.

"This is Mr. Satan speaking!"

The man violently swung his head towards the direction of the voice. With his back against the wall, he crept over to a large, curtained window. He then carefully pulled the curtain back just enough so that he could peek to see if it really was who the voice claimed he was.

And indeed, the man in question was standing tall in front of the wall of police officers and bystanders who were so awestruck by his famed presence. Mr. Satan held a megaphone in his hand and spoke once more, "I repeat! This is Mr. Satan! You took my daughter hostage so that you could get me, right? Well, here I am, punks! Don't you lay a goddamn finger on my daughter, and I'll come inside. No police or nothin'. Trust me on my word – just don't hurt Videl!"

Snickering, Ulysses dropped the curtain back down and turned back to the World Champ's daughter. "Videl, huh? What a pretty name. I suppose I should trust your father, right?" he cockily smirked, "You'll have to come with me as insurance, though."

At that, the man swept Videl up off the floor, flinging her restrained body across his shoulder. Bobba quickly opened the door to the hallway for his boss and followed behind. As the two culprits made their way to the front door, Videl raised her chin to look up. She immediately caught eye with Bobba, who gave her a menacing grin in return. Averting her gaze, she tried to look behind her to see exactly where Ulysses was heading.

The boss then stopped in his tracks underneath the chandelier in the entryway to the front door. He pulled Videl off his shoulder and tossed her to the ground directly in front of him before he nodded at Bobba. The hulking bald man responded to Ulysses by stepping off to the side and cracking the door open, just enough to signal to Mr. Satan that he was welcome to come inside.

"Mr. Satan! Look, they opened the door. I suggest we utilize this opportunity to direct the S.W.A.T. team inside and end this whole fiasco once and for all," the chief of police suggested.

"No," the World Champion sternly refused. "They can tear my home apart; they can take all my money. But I can't afford to let my daughter get hurt."

Without another word, Mr. Satan then shoved the megaphone in the chief's hands before he stomped towards his front door.

As he stood on his doorsteps, he swallowed hard before his weakening voice called out to the men inside, "U-um, it's me, Mr. Satan! I'm coming in – it's just me, no one else."

Slowly, he pushed the door as he inched himself inside his own home. Immediately, Bobba shut the door behind him. Startled, Mr. Satan twirled his head around only to see the bald crony devilishly smirk back at him. The echoing sound of clicking metal then flooded the World Champ's senses, causing him to twirl back around.

His widening eyes were greeted by ten men bearing various sorts of firearms who stood along the rails of the second floor. As the several men aimed their loaded guns at Mr. Satan, Ulysses threw his head back in laughter.

"What a sight!" he boisterously guffawed, "Mr. Satan, the World Champion martial artist who saved Earth is standing before me completely defenseless; and surrounded to boot!"

"P-Papa…!" Videl's tiny, quivering voice reached out to her father.

Ulysses immediately tightened his grip on the pigtailed girl. His chuckling expression transformed into a deep scowl before he said to the champion, "It's no use in trying to pull a miracle off. I'll let your daughter go. But not until after you take me to your hidden safe."

"Th-that's what you want? You want my stash? Fine, take it, it's all yours. Just keep your word that you'll let my daughter free."

Ulysses then whipped one of his tranquilizing needles out and bent down on one of his knees. With one quick motion, he sliced through the rope that bound Videl's ankles together. He smirked at her father, "Already half way there, my friend."

The ten men who stood on the second floor with their firearms shifted down the grand staircase. A few of them approached Mr. Satan with their guns aimed at him, pushing him forward so that he would lead their boss to their desired treasure. A handful of the cronies stayed behind, guarding the front entrance way. The remaining two armed men followed behind Ulysses, who kept Videl close in front of him as he followed the World Champion to the safe.

As Mr. Satan walked down the corridor, he continuously glanced behind him to check if Videl was safe (relatively speaking) and nearby. He was immediately greeted with the nozzle of a pistol. Taken aback in startled shock, the World Champion stopped in his tracks.

"Keep moving," the henchman demanded as he prodded Mr. Satan's back with the gun.

"Your daughter will stay unharmed, don't worry," Ulysses assured him with a grin. "Just keep walking."

"O-OK," he meekly replied as he turned the corner, "I'm counting on you to keep your promise. After I take you to the safe I don't want to see you or any of your men again. It's just down this hall to the righ–" Mr. Satan stopped mid-sentence as he looked behind him.

Not a single person was following him.

Completely baffled, the World Champ twirled his whole body around and looked left and right around the empty hallway. "Wh- …Where'd everybody go?" he asked aloud. He backtracked and turned back around the corner. He suddenly emitted a throaty gasp as he laid his eyes on the sight in front of him.

The corridor he had just walked down was littered with unconscious bodies – all those men who had surrounded him earlier were flat on the ground, unmoving. Mr. Satan trailed his eyes to the firearms that were scattered across the carpeted floor then desperately searched all around.

Videl and Ulysses were nowhere to be found.

"A-A-Angel? Where are you?" he nervously called out as he took baby steps back down the hall.

o (o) (O) (o) o

Videl wasn't sure what exactly had just happened. She was being led by her father with all those bad men, and was suddenly hit by a strong gust of wind. Before she knew it, she was back to standing in front of the grand staircase with the exception that no one was guarding her. The pigtailed girl turned her head side to side trying to get a sense of what was going on, where everyone was, why she had suddenly backtracked in the blink of an eye.

She was suddenly startled by a large blur tumbling past her line of sight, crashing into the wall. Immediately directing her attention towards it, she focused her eyes and realized it was Ulysses. His scrunched up face revealed the pain that was shooting up his spine as he lied there in that pretzeled position, his legs in the air, his head against the ground. His cronies who had remained in this entryway to keep an eye on the door glued their eyes to their beat down boss in utter bafflement.

Videl then anxiously scanned the area to find out who had just delivered that blow to that malevolent man. "Papa…?" she desperately called out. Feeling a hand grip her tied wrists, the girl gasped aloud in fear, swinging her head around.

Her cerulean eyes widened as her mouth stayed agape in shock.

"…Nos…!"

With one swift movement, the red-haired man tore the rope restraints, freeing Videl's bound wrists. Unable to find her words, Videl stared at Nos in befuddling astonishment. The corner of his lips tugged into a small smile – a smile that could only be interpreted as reassurance.

Before the pigtailed girl could ask him what he was doing here, Nos gently pushed her to the side, his eyes trained on the gang's leader who was beginning to stagger back onto his feet.

"I'll give you one chance to take your men and leave here peacefully," he warned.

Ulysses managed to let out a cynical laugh in between heaving coughs. "You got lucky, punk. Don't think you can pull the same shit twice on me," he rebutted as he cradled his gut with one hand and rubbed dirt off his chin with the other. "Where the hell did you come from, anyway?"

Ulysses' question remained unanswered. Nos just continued to stare the man down, his clenched fists down at his sides. "If you're still standing here by the time I count to three, you'll be sorry. I'm gonna pummel you, and you're gonna wish you never met me," he sneered.

"Ha! Cocky, aren't we? We'll have to see about that!"

"One…" Nos began.

"Don't bother counting. Let's test our skills, shall we?" A cocky smile stretched across Ulysses' lips as he stealthily reached into his back pocket.

"…Two…"

Before Nos could say 'three', the towering man rapidly swung his arm out in front of him, releasing a concealed object from his hand.

"Nos! No!" Videl cried out, knowing all too well what had just flung from Ulysses' grip.

It hadn't occurred to the boss that the man in the blue gi hadn't even flinched. He was much too occupied with the fact that a large needle was probed into his target's chest. Grinning victoriously, he burst into a cackle, "Ha ha ha ha! You are no competition for me! You'll be immobilized in a few seconds because of my tranquilizer. Soon you won't be able to lift a single finger. I think you meant that **I** will be the one pummeling **you**."

Nos peered down, observing the metal dart jammed in his chest. Frowning at it, he brought his hand up and wrapped his fingers around and yanked it out.

"Taking it out won't help you!" Ulysses continued to guffaw, "The paralysis is already injected inside your body. Any second now you'll flop to the floor like fish out of water!"

Shooting a menacing glance, Nos furrowed his brow and forcefully flicked the tranquilizer back towards the laughing man's direction. Ulysses felt a speedy gust of wind zip by his face and heard a loud thump behind him. He hesitantly turned around and caught sight of his own projectile weapon jammed three-quarters deep in the wall. Eyes bugged out beneath his sunglasses, he shakily turned back around to face the mysterious red-haired man.

"Y-y-you're s-still s-standing up!" the gang leader stuttered in bafflement. His mouth fell agape as he watched his opponent casually stretch his arms to the ceiling, cracking his knuckles and neck.

Videl stared at Nos in stunned shock. She couldn't believe he was still standing after a direct hit from Ulysses' tranquilizing dart. His crony, Greg, didn't last a single second after being hit by one earlier. He was paralyzed on contact, yet here Nos was, standing tall and completely unaffected by the tranquilizing effects.

Nos naïvely retorted, "Of course I am. You didn't really think that **that** would have knocked me out, did you?"

Sweating profusely as his nerves began to act up, Ulysses gritted his teeth, snarling at the fact that he no longer had the advantage of paralyzing his enemy. He then directed his stare at the five cronies who were guarding the door. He shot his pointed finger at Nos and commanded, "Get him!"

In an instant reaction, the five men swarmed their target. They held their loaded firearms firmly as they aimed them point blank at the red-haired man. Not even the slightest bit intimidated, Nos stood in place as he scanned his blue eyes down the enclosed circle of cronies surrounding him.

"N-no!" Videl desperately cried out, pleading, "Please! Don't kill him!"

The next thing she knew, she had sheathed her eyes with her hands as the sound of several gunshots rang through her sensitive ears.

"Nos!" she screamed in terror, unwilling to uncover her eyes in fear of witnessing the gruesome fall of a man she was so fond of.

"V-V-Videl!" a bumbling voice suddenly called out from behind her.

The pigtailed girl turned around and dropped her cupped hands from her face. Her eyes widened in relief as she watched her father tumble down the corridor. Mr. Satan ran up to his daughter as swept her up off the floor, squeezing her tightly in his hold.

"I'm so glad you're OK!" he bawled.

"Papa, don't worry about me," Videl managed to sputter as she gasped for air. She then pointed towards the handful of armed men, "B-but, Nos! H-h-he…"

Quizzically, the World Champion glanced over his daughter's shoulder and finally noticed the armed men huddled in a circle.

"Where'd he go?" one of the cronies questioned as he looked left and right.

"He disappeared!" another shouted.

Videl immediately turned back around after hearing their remarks. They were right – Nos disappeared somehow!

The chandelier lights then suddenly flickered before the room completely darkened.

"Wh-who turned off the lights?" Mr. Satan warily exclaimed.

A loud shriek suddenly pierced his ears, following a loud thump that reverberated across the room.

An eerie silence then filled the room, as everyone stood on their toes, anticipating any kind of sudden movement.

Before anyone could register it, the sound of a bone cracking resonated as another cry echoed across the room.

The sound of rattling metal and unsettling tiptoeing flooded every henchman's sense of hearing. It was their own feet shuffling as they shakily gripped their weapons. The pitch black room made it extremely hard to detect anything with their eyesight, and Nos's speed was much too quick for any normal person to read his movements.

"S-someone turn on the lights, damnit!" Ulysses cried out in anger.

More feet shuffled as his cronies frantically searched for the light switch. However, another gut-wrenching cry echoed throughout the room and yet another loud thump rang through their ears. The lights suddenly flickered back on, and the remaining two men stood back to back against each other, their foreheads dripping with a cold sweat.

"Over here," a voice called out.

The two looked left and right before they looked at each other. In a flash, the two collided into each other and fell flat onto the ground, knocked out cold. Nos hovered over the two unconscious men, as well as the three other limp bodies that littered the floor beneath him.

He then directed his eyes towards Ulysses, who stood there in utter shock. Witnessing the poor defense his men had displayed in those few short seconds made his stomach churn.

Nos could practically see the lump in Ulysses' throat as the man swallowed hard. He took a step towards the gang leader and continued to advance, his expression unwavering. Although it was quite different on Ulysses' end, where he was sweating bullets as his face contorted in fear.

"P-please! Don't hur–"

However, the boss's words were cut short when Nos thrust his elbow directly into the man's face. Ulysses' sunglasses shattered on contact as his body hurled backwards, tumbling three or four times before he slammed into an end table.

Assured that the gang leader was out cold, Nos let out a small sigh of relief before he turned around to face Videl and Mr. Satan, who were both frozen in place due to his stunning display. Feeling nervous, he quickly reached behind his neck and sheepishly rubbed it, giving them a hesitant smile.

Suddenly, the front doors burst open. Armed and suited men shuffled inside with protective helmets and bullet-proof shields. As the men ran inside, the chief of police also rushed in, glancing at the situation before him. Shrugging his shoulders with a sigh of relief, he walked up to Mr. Satan.

"I never should have doubted you, sir. Amazing as always, Mr. Satan," he praised, "We heard gunshots from outside, so I took the initiative to call in the S.W.A.T. team. But it seems you didn't need their help after all. You are the World Champion, after all!"

Baffled at the chief's praise, Mr. Satan took a moment to read into his words. He then stammered, "O-oh! W-well, this all wasn't necessarily, uh –"

"There are swarms of reporters and fans outside your home right now. It would be a great relief for the public to know that you and your daughter are safe, Mr. Satan," he continued.

"R-reporters? F-fans?" the World Champion looked down at his daughter before he turned his head to see what the red-haired man's reaction was. He was surprised to see that the man had suddenly vanished. He then crept over to the window and peered out, only to see exactly what the chief had descried – a mob of reporters with cameras and microphones were pushing and shoving to try and get inside to interview him. Fans were also bustling outside, cheering the World Champ on to save the day.

Gulping, Mr. Satan could only think that it was inevitable to have to greet the crowds. That mysterious man disappeared, so it wasn't like **he** was around to tell the public that he was the one that saved him and his daughter. Plus, if word let out that someone **else** other than himself had saved the day from these terrorizing criminals, what would his fans think?

Completely changing his demeanor, Mr. Satan straightened himself up before he confidently walked out the front door. Cheers grew louder as the man thrust his fist in the air, pumping it victoriously.

Mouth agape, Videl stared at her gloating father in disbelief. She knew he knew he wasn't the one who beat everyone up – so why was he acting like he did? And speaking of the person who beat everyone up, it seemed that Nos had suddenly vanished.

The pigtailed girl searched left and right for the man. She then turned her head towards the whisper that was calling for her attention.

"Psst!"

Following the voice, Videl squinted her eyes and saw Nos beckoning her with a nod as he peered at her from the corner of the hallway. She quickly snuck over and turned the corner so that no one could see the two.

"Nos! What are you doing, hiding?" she asked, and then pointed towards the front door, "My papa's taking all your credit! I know you were the one who defeated all of them!"

"Shh, it's OK, Videl. Please. I know you probably think this is wrong, but this is for the best," he claimed.

"For the best?"

"I don't want the media to find out about what I did today. I would rather they think that your dad saved the day. So, please? Don't tell?"

"B-but… but you saved me! You saved everyone in my home! How can you not take credit for doing something as heroic as this?"

"Sometimes there are things more important to some people than fame or recognition. I don't want any of it," Nos calmly explained.

Videl looked him in the eye for a quick moment before she dropped her head in slight defeat, "Alright, I understand."

"I need to go. Promise me, OK?" he asked once more as he turned his body to take off from the scene.

"W-wait! Please don't go. I promise I won't tell anyone about what you did. But don't go… please…" the pigtailed girl's voice trailed into a quivering whisper.

Nos turned back around to face her again and crouched down to meet eye to eye with the girl. He patted her head as he tried to assure her with a smile, "Don't worry. You're safe now. Your dad is here, and the entire Satan police force is here too – with the S.W.A.T. team to boot."

"No…" she meekly refused, her cheeks burning up, "I want you to stay."

Standing back up, Gohan stared at Videl for a moment, taking note of the strong desire surrounding her trembling voice. This is exactly what the half-Saiyan wanted to avoid. He let out a drawn out breath before he spoke up, "Videl, I have to leave. I'm sorry, but I need to. I'm leaving this city for good."

As that last sentence escaped his lips, the cerulean-eyed girl immediately looked up at the red-haired man. Confused and a bit stunned, she asked, "What do you mean, you're leaving for good?"

"It means just that. I can't stick around here anymore. I've been around longer than I anticipated, and it's time I move on to the next chapter in my life. I think it's about time you move on to the next one in yours, too, Videl."

Too baffled by his sudden decision, the girl furiously shook her head. "No. No, you can't go! Please, I-I…" her tiny voice trailed once more. After a slight pause, she warily continued, "I think… I think I like you, Nos."

Shocked by her confession, Gohan's disguised eyes widened in astonishment. Did she just say what he thought she just said? He watched as she casted her eyes down to the floor as her cheeks flushed crimson. The boy couldn't believe it. Videl held feelings for the man he was desperately trying to void from her memories. But then again, who was he to think such a thing? He came out to save her and Mr. Satan as Nos. It's not like he had a choice, though. Transforming into a Super Saiyan was completely out of the question, especially in front of the World Champion, "the man who defeated Cell", the man who in actuality witnessed him and his friends fight against that destructive monster in their Super Saiyan forms.

Nevertheless, Gohan couldn't fathom this predicament. The fact that Videl had just confessed to him, regardless of the fact that it was directed to Nos, and not himself, caused strange sensations to swirl around in his stomach. It made him feel queasy, but not in a sick way. In a way that left him just as flustered as Videl looked. What were these fluttery feelings that were arising within him?

It was then that Gohan decided enough was enough. He couldn't keep up with the charade anymore. He needed to dispose of his alias as soon as possible. He didn't want to lead Videl on with lies any longer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he looked into her cerulean eyes. "You mean a lot to me, Videl. But I have to leave."

Feeling the rush of defeat hit her like a brick, she pouted as she longingly looked down at the floor.

It startled her, when she suddenly felt Nos's hands cup her face. Eyes widening as she glanced up, she watched Nos bend over as he inched his head closer to hers. She immediately shut her eyes tight, feeling her stomach tickle in a way that she had never felt before.

A small kiss gently landed on her forehead and she immediately flushed a rosy red.

Shocked, she froze up, stiff as a board.

Her lips managed to move as her voice barely spoke out, "N-Nos…"

In a sudden, popping flash, Videl was engulfed in a pink smoke.

It clouded her vision, causing her to lose sight of the red-haired man. Disoriented, she blinked forcefully a few times and watched the smoke dissipate.

As the smoke cleared, the pigtailed girl re-trained her eyes in front of her, only to let out a stunned gasp.

"G-Gohan…?"

* * *

><p>Fin.<p>

A/N: OK! I understand many of you are probably confused as to why this is the final chapter. After some brainstorming, I've decided to shift Puppy Love into more of a prologue setting. As you may have already anticipated, this fic is supposed to delve into the growth of Gohan and Videl's relationship as they literally grow up together. Which is still my plan! However, I'm proclaiming this to be the prologue of the actual growth. Therefore, even though Puppy Love has ended (with an unsettling ending, I know), expect the sequel which will continue this story!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the prologue overall, and I hope that you look out for the next installment!

Thanks for reading, and thank you for all of your reviews, comments, criticisms, and suggestions. They really mean a lot to me! :)


	12. Update

The next installment of P.L. has arrived! Please visit my profile and read **Puppy Love: Mend** to see what happens next in this story!

Also, please note that the title to this prologue has been changed to **Puppy Love: Veil**.

Thanks for reading!


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